Brandon Twp.-It’s going to cost a little less to play in Brandon.
By a vote of 4 to 3, the township board of trustees approved lowering the non-resident fee for participation in recreation programs from $60 per event and participant to $15. The move comes after about 60 residents attended a public hearing on non-resident recreation fees July 31. Nearly half spoke, with a majority saying the fees need to be lowered.
Voting for the decrease were Trustees Tom Stowell, Robert DeWitt, Charlene Carlson and Clerk Jeannie McCreery. Voting against the reduction were Treasurer Linda Owen, Trustee Sandra Willett and Supervisor Ron Lapp. In February, the board unanimously voted to increase the non-resident fee for participation in recreation programs from $10 to $60 per event and participant, or $125 per family annual fee. The decision was made after Groveland Township officials declined to increase their $15,000 annual contribution to $42,144 to sufficiently fund the recreation program for their residents, 388 of whom participated in Brandon recreation programs last year. Groveland officials took their decision to not increase the funding one step further and withdrew their previous annual contribution, saying their residents were polled and preferred a user fee.
‘We are just going to have to wait and see how many come back to the Brandon Recreation,? said Trustee, Robert DeWitt. ‘We were short money to begin with, that’s why the cost went up. Now we are still short’we are going to depend on people coming back.?
‘Either way, (the fees) are just too high. Those rates hurt the local businesses and parents of the participants. Groveland Township is not paying their fair share. Shame on them for doing it.?
Trustee Tom Stowell agreed.
‘We need to get the people back,? said Stowell. ‘That’s one of our goals’we’re really just hurting ourselves.?
Members of the board suggested that a refund for those that paid $60 for the fall sports would be provided. However, other refunds were not going to be considered.
Ron Lapp, township supervisor, opposed the rollback in fees, stating that $15 is too low.
‘I understand the emotion of the issue,? he said. ‘I think $15 is too low, we are going to get criticized. It’s going to be hard to get these people back’this is unfair, it’s just wrong.?