Don’t increase fees just because you can
Alderman Mike Bub was spot-on Monday night when he urged his fellow Medford city council members to not raise fees for the city pool just because they could.
“I don’t see the need to raise rates just because other people are charging more,” Bub said during a discussion on the season pass rates. Bub noted that the city is in good financial health and that the pool has been operating within its budget.
At $60 per year for a resident family pass, the Medford city pool is a bargain for area families looking for a safe way to beat the summertime heat. Each year hundreds of area families and children come to the pool to cool off and have fun. Situated near shelters and playgrounds in the park, the city pool is an integral part of the recreational offerings in the city.
The issue for some on council is that the $60 a year fee is significantly lower than municipal pool rates in other nearby communities. Those rates range from $125 per year for city residents in Thorp to $100 per year for residential rates in Merrill.
As Bub also correctly noted, the Medford pool is not an apples to apples comparison to what is offered at some of these facilities which more resemble full water parks.
Where aldermen, who favor increasing rates, have a point is that the city should be mindful of increasing operational costs in regard to labor, chemicals and ongoing maintenance. However, they must keep in mind that the city pool and parks are provided as a taxpayer supported service as are roads, walking paths and other city infrastructure.
The pool, in particular, was originally built decades ago as a public safety measure to give area children a safe and supervised place to splash rather than swimming in the Millpond. The archives of The Star News from prior to the pool being built contain many tragic stories of searches for drowning victims.
While the user fees charged help defray the cost of the pool, it is primarily a government service meant to be enjoyed by everyone and not just those who have more disposable income.
The city council held off, for now, on making a recommendation about increasing the pool fees. Incremental increases may be needed to keep up with inflation, but implementing an increase just because Medford’s pool is more of a value than Marshfield’s or Weston’s are to their residents does a disservice to the city residents and is nothing more than a backdoor tax increase.
The city should not increase fees just because they can or just because they haven’t increased them in a while. They should follow Bub’s suggestion and leave the fees unchanged for this season.
