Robert Lowe, top left, wife Silvana and their kids, Peter, front left in blue, Lisa, and Robert, are shown at the Pro Teach baseball facilities with Patrick McConnell, right, president of the Bloordale Baseball league. New fees to use Toronto's playing fields could see parents paying $100 extra for a child playing baseball this season. Photo by Toronto Star
The following story appeared in the Toronto Star, February 13, 2012
Paul Moloney
Toronto Star
Urban Affairs Reporter
New fees to use Toronto’s playing fields could see parents paying $100 extra for a child playing baseball this season, league officials say.
Etobicoke’s Royal York Baseball League said they’ve been told it’ll cost the 900-player organization just over $97,000 in playing field permit fees this year.
In previous years, there has been no charge. The new hourly rates are $12, $8 and $6 based on the quality of the sports field.
At Royal York, the league charges each player $130 a season for uniforms, equipment and other expenses. Adding field rental could push the tab far in excess of $200.
“I don’t know what to do,” said league president Alan Waffle. “I’m at a loss because it’s such a huge change to be absorbed all in one year.”
“It’s a lot of money to play baseball,” said Robert Lowe, whose three children play for Bloordale Baseball, another league affected by the fee that has 270 players aged 5 to 15.
The total cost for Lowe’s three children is normally about $540 per season, but the fee would bring that closer to $900 this year — well beyond what the family had budgeted.
“We’ve been seriously thinking about whether we can fit this in,” Lowe said.
“There will be parents who simply can’t afford this,” said Mike Woolcock, who also has three children in the Bloordale league. “I’m paying $300 more just so we can get the kids out for exercise — I don’t think it’s really fair that the city’s dumping this on us.”
Fees for playing fields flowed from a new user fee policy passed by council last September that called for more emphasis on charging rates that reflect the cost of providing services.
“It’s cost recovery,” said Jim Hart, general manager of parks, forestry and recreation. “You’re paying for electricity for the lights, water for the irrigation, and the other factor is grass cutting.”
The change came as a surprise, said Patrick McConnell, president of Bloordale Baseball.
“We appreciate the city’s budget constraints,” McConnell said. “What we’re concerned about is the hastiness with which it was introduced, with no warning, no consultation.”
Waffle, who said he was unaware of the fees until tipped by a parks and rec staffer, is urging the city to look at reducing the amounts and phasing them in to cushion the blow.
“Otherwise, we may have to cut back on practice times, and we may have to cut back on games. Is this what we want?”
Councillor Doug Holyday (Ward 3, Etobicoke Centre) said the playing field rates deserve a second look.
“I guess it went through in the budget and no one recognized what was going on,” Holyday said. “One of the things that should have been considered with a change like this is to phase it in.”
Other municipalities surrounding Toronto charge fees for sporting fields, and the former Etobicoke council also imposed fees, said Councillor Peter Milczyn (Ward 5, Etobicoke-Lakeshore).
After amalgamation in Toronto, the fees were scrapped because the former city of Toronto didn’t charge for sports fields, Milczyn said.
“We’re just going back to what everyone else did except for the old city,” he said.
The baseball leagues could reduce the hit by trimming the number of hours they book, Hart said.
“The reason the impact appears to be so large is — because it’s been free — they tend to book lots of time they don’t really need,” Hart said.
The leagues are looking at that, but they also need to know details such as whether they’ll be charged for rainouts or time spent on routine maintenance of the infield, McConnell said.
McConnell said he and other baseball officials are prepared to pay fees, but the suddenness and size of the new rates came as a surprise.
“We’re not opposed to paying, but the amount that came in without any warning is what’s upsetting,” he said. “All we want to do is provide baseball for kids in the community.”
Lowe is concerned that the fee hike could mean his kids’ teams might see dwindling numbers.
“I’m hoping that we play baseball come spring with all the players, and that user fees don’t play a part in whether or not players can play.”
Other sports field users such as soccer teams would also pay, but they haven’t indicated they have a problem with the rates, Hart said.
With files from Wendy Gillis