SPANISH FORK -- People who don't live here will have to pay more to play.
The City Council raised recreation fees this week for nonresidents, which includes a large portion of the people who play on city sports leagues. The increase of $10 to the entry fee could raise as much as $12,000. It will take effect in the fall.Additionally, the council agreed to charge Salem an additional subsidy for programs that it doesn't offer residents, such as the Colt baseball and senior Jazz basketball programs. Salem residents often come to Spanish Fork to play in its recreation leagues.
But charging Salem an extra fee irked Salem Mayor Randy Brailsford, who believes anyone outside Spanish Fork should pay the same nonresident fee. Brailsford met with Spanish Fork officials Wednesday but left when negotiations broke down, he said.
"I don't understand their logic," he told the Deseret News.
The amount Salem would have to pay hasn't yet been determined, Dave Oyler, Spanish Fork city manager, said.
Brailsford said Salem will beef up its recreation programs and invite county residents to participate for only $5 more than Salem residents will pay.
Spanish Fork officials have often maintained that city recreation programs don't make any money and are subsidized by the taxes Spanish Fork residents pay. The new fees, which will be spent only on recreation programs, won't put them in the black, Oyler said.
Recreation officials have approached the Utah County Commission for help in paying for county residents who participate in the city recreation program but to no avail. The city would like a compromise with the county to help cover recreation costs.
Last year, more than 800 county residents participated in Spanish Fork's recreation programs, along with 538 from Salem and more than 4,500 from Spanish Fork. Nearly half of the residents in unincorporated Utah County live near Spanish Fork, officials said.