Fee increases for Recreation, Parks & Culture (RPC) services will begin Sept. 1st.
The increases were approved by City council through the 2018 operating budget deliberations and will apply to rates for monthly recreation passes and facility rental rates.
“Any fee change is carefully considered during the City’s annual budget process when council reviews the recommendations from administration. Rentals and related fees are recommended for increase each year, while admission and pass increases are considered every two years,” said Shelley Gagnon, recreation parks & culture manager.
“Adjusting these user fees helps to offset the growing operating costs and support operations, which means that services do not rely solely on funding from the tax base. In 2017, both facility rental fees as well as admission and membership fees were set to increase but were frozen in recognition of the economic downturn,” said Gagnon.
Starting Sept. 1st, monthly passes for RPC facilities will increase by approximately 5% and facility rental rates will increase by approximately 3%.
“With these increases, we’re striving to achieve sustainability,” said Gagnon.
“We’ve looked at the needs of the community and worked to balance these needs with responsible taxation and financial management. Through good financial stewardship, we can continue to provide wonderful recreation, parks and culture services in Red Deer.”
Information on pass increases is available at the customer service desks at Collicutt Centre, G.H. Dawe Centre, Recreation Centre and Michener Centre. For more information on Recreation, Parks and Culture, visit www.reddeer.ca/rpc.
-Submitted by the City of Red Deer
