By Katie Northcott, News Director
The City of Manchester received backlash on social media after the city’s Recreation Commission unanimously recommended a fee increase for use of the city’s ballfields.
At the June 10 meeting of the commission, Parks & Recreation Department Director A.J. Fox introduced a proposal to increase the field rental fee from $75/day to $100/day and to charge a $10 fee per player to local sports leagues. The fee would be introduced to help pay for maintenance and improvement of the fields.
“We are the only place I have found so far that does not do this,” said Miranda Edwards, who is the Parks & Recreation Athletics Director.
The fee increase must be approved by the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) before becoming effective. The next meeting of the BOMA is scheduled for July 7, according to the calendar on the city’s website.
Much of the backlash to the proposal was initiated by a post in the Manchester, TN, Forum on Facebook. In the post, Mary Byers, a local community sports organizer, expressed concern about lost concession revenue, field space, and field maintenance. Find Byers full post here.
“For years, I’ve dedicated countless hours to youth sports because I believe in what it does for our kids and our community. I’ve stayed quiet through a lot, but it’s becoming harder and harder to understand the decisions being made,” Byers said.
Byers said that it is untrue that Manchester is the only city that does not charge a player fee, citing Winchester, Decherd, and Tullahoma.
“Now the city is talking about charging families an additional $10 per player fee. For what exactly?” Byers said. “Families already pay taxes that support these facilities. Parents already pay registration fees, buy equipment, travel to games, volunteer their time, and support local fundraising efforts.”
Byers also expressed frustration that the commission voted on the increase without any sports league representatives present. The fee increase was not on the agenda posted on the city’s website prior to the meeting.
In response to the social media backlash, Manchester Mayor Joey Hobbs posted a statement on Facebook on Monday, June 22, inviting the public to a town hall meeting on July 8 at 5:30 p.m. at Manchester City Hall. He asked that attendees fill out this form prior to the meeting.
Hobbs said that the “neglect of the fields” predates his tenure and highlighted investments the city made in parks, last year. He said the city planned to increase its investment in parks during the coming budget year.
“We plan on continuing improvements, but it is going to take time. As for the $10 fee, that has not been brought before BOMA,” Hobbs said. “Considering that league registration is approximately $85 per player, it would seem reasonable that, if implemented, leagues could evaluate whether that cost could be absorbed within their existing operating budgets rather than passed directly on to families.”
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