By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The Tucson Mayor and Council will hold a public hearing and vote Tuesday on proposed Parks and Recreation fee changes that could affect youth programs, pools, and other facilities.
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The city revised its original proposal after community feedback, including the elimination of proposed pickleball court fees at Morris K. Udall Park. Signs demanding no-fee courts that once lined the park’s pickleball facilities have been removed.
The city council voted last month to drop the pickleball fee and strike a deal with Tucson Area Pickleball to handle maintenance and future investment at Udall Park. The group has committed $50,000 to resurface courts and keep them running.
“They saw what we had here and wanted to keep it,” said Leonard Finkel of Tucson Area Pickleball. “You gotta appreciate that they saw that what they were trying to do wasn’t the correct thing and they went with what was right.”
Parks and Recreation Director Lara Hamwey said current fees do not cover facility costs.
“The reality is the department has been absorbing a lot of those costs, and that’s really not sustainable,” Hamwey said. “We’re trying to strike that balance between what the demand is and what it costs for us to provide.”
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The revised proposal includes several changes based on community input:
- Youth programs, including KIDCO, In Betweeners Club, and Learn to Swim, would see fee increases delayed until January 2027 instead of July 2026.
- Aquatic fitness classes would increase by 15% each year over four years instead of the original proposal of full cost recovery immediately. A $48 class would increase to $55.20 as of July 1, 2026.
- Lap swim will remain free through the summer. A new punch pass option will launch Sept. 1, 2026, alongside a monthly pass. No cost progression has been set to allow the program to be evaluated.
- The proposed therapy pool pass has been removed from the fee schedule.
Hamwey said fee revenue would flow into the city’s general fund first, then be allocated to departments during the budget process.
The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, located at 255 West Alameda Street. You can watch all the council meetings live at www.youtube.com/user/CityofTucson.
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