TC Supervisors Approve Revised Standard Park Fee Increase

Photo by: BJ Hansen

Sonora, CA — The board of supervisors in Tuolumne County scrapped an earlier plan to charge visitor entrance fees at Standard Park and will instead increase the cost for leagues to rent fields.

For youth sports, the existing fee is $7.75 per field/per hour, and for adult teams, it is $18. It will go up to $25 for both youth and adult leagues, effective the coming seasons. The idea is that it can be spread out among the participants, instead of charging fees for spectators. It was noted at the meeting that groups like Tuolumne County Youth Soccer supported a field rental increase as opposed to a new entry fee system.

Library and Recreation Director Eric Aitken added that community members have also expressed some interest in developing a Friends of the Recreation Department type group, similar to the existing Friends of the Library. It would play a role in raising extra money for Recreation Department efforts.

The board of supervisors supported the fee increase on fields, 5-0, and several board members praised county staff for meeting with stakeholders and finding alternative solutions to the entry fee system.

In recent years, Tuolumne County government has covered out of the General Fund 70% of the costs to operate recreation programs with the remaining money coming from sources like fees. The fee increase comes as the county is bracing for the likelihood of steep budget shortfalls in the coming years.