In a remarkable feat of fiscal stupidity, the city Parks Department lost $200,000 last year after it doubled fees at 32 neighborhood recreation centers.
Records show that more than 50,000 people shed their memberships during the 12-month period beginning July 1, 2011, when the annual admission charge for adults soared from $50 to $100, and from $75 to $150 for facilities with pools.
That’s cheap by private health-club standards, but it had a devastating impact on the lower-wage population that gravitates to the city’s more affordable workout centers.
Half of the 36,153 senior-citizen members bailed out when their entry fee jumped from $10 to $25.
The membership roll of 79,357 other adults shrunk to 44,877 in the same period.
To top off the fiasco, revenues fell from $4,548,552 in fiscal 2011 to $4,335,973 in fiscal 2012 — $212,579 less than before the increase.
6 comments:
Part of the problem is the raising of the fee but perhaps the larger problem is the way you need to sign up--often not at the facility you want to use. My son used to love Al Oerter but getting his membership renewed is a big hassle in terms of paperwork. NYC families are mad busy!
Tennis courts at forest park go unused because you need to get a permit miles away in a place that's hard to get to and you need all kinds of special photos.
These facilities should have a low pay as you go fee for adults and free access for kids.
What neighborhood recreation centers & where?
"Tennis courts at forest park go unused because you need to get a permit miles away in a place that's hard to get to and you need all kinds of special photos."
Sounds like step 1 in a process to lead to, "Oh, nobody uses it, let's sell it to a developer."
The ice rink there is also one of the more expensive ones in a 50-mile radius.
Gotta love the cities ability to totally screw up the finances.
"Parks sure knows how to lose money"
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The money's not lost. The people in charge know whose pockets the money fell into!
Very interesting. Everyone has the answer: corruption, taxes too high, taxes not enough, inconvenience at having to travel somewhere to sign up-- does that mean hire more city personnel? Here's an idea, maybe the government shouldn't be involved in any of this.
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