PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A proposed field usage fee by Palm Beach County has youth sports organizations sounding the alarm, warning that it could sideline hundreds of children across the community.
WATCH: 'It will add up,' James Angelotti says of proposed fees
The Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department is considering implementing a $5 per-hour field usage fee for youth leagues, citing rising maintenance and operational costs.
The West Boynton Little League is voicing concern over the field usage fee, the league reached out to WPTV, worried the cost could quickly add up for families already stretched thin.
"It's so much more than baseball when they come out here," said James Angelotti, president of the West Boynton Little League.
Palm Beach County Director of Parks and Recreation Jeniffer Cirillo said she's now tasked with balancing their budget without leaning on property taxes for full funding.
The field use fees is a part of a preliminary proposal from Palm Beach County's Parks and Recreation Department. The department said it's also in response to rising costs in everything from sod and equipment to utilities.
"Our natural turf fields in particular, we do replace sod on a pretty frequent basis, the costs have more than doubled," said Cirillo.
Meantime, Angelotti said the new fees would result in tens of thousands of dollars in added costs — expenses that would ultimately fall on local families. He said this could put youth sports out of reach for many children and undermine programs that provide vital developmental opportunities, especially for those from lower-income households.
"Instead of registration being $175, we're going to probably have to add $50 a child to it," Angelotti said. "We're out here almost all year long except during the 11-week renovation that they do, and we're just one league. $5 doesn't sound like a lot but it will add up."
Cirillo said the department relies heavily on property taxes for more than 80% of its budget and that this proposal is a last resort. She also said this is the first time in the department's 53-year history that usage fees are being considered.
"I'm open to ideas and I want to find a solution, but I am also being asked to balance a budget at a certain number to make that happen," said Cirillo.
Cirillo said if the proposal moves forward, the county will look at ways to support families including scholarships. Community members like Angelotti hope decision-makers step up to protect programs that keep kids on the field and off the sidelines.
The proposal heads to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
