A Penticton councillor's notice of motion to explore implementing two-tier pricing for recreation services was shot down on May 27.
Coun. Isaac Gilbert proposed having staff look into establishing a two-tiered recreation service fee and fee-for-service agreement with surrounding communities.
His motion was defeated 3-2, with Couns. Campbell Watt, Ryan Graham and Jason Reynen opposed. Mayor Julius Bloomfield voted in favour of the motion.
A two-tier structure fee for recreation — established in January 2024 by the City of Vernon — would potentially see people who live outside Penticton municipal boundaries pay more to use the city's facilities and register for programs.
Kelowna in recent months has also mulled implementing changes that would have residents in West Kelowna or Lake Country, for instance, pay a premium for the city's recreation services.
"I think we have way more important things to be dealing with," Watt said. "We got some really pressing issues in our city I'd rather see us focus on right now."
Gilbert argued that recent budget cuts at the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) level could lead to residents in Naramata and West Bench using Penticton recreation facilities at a higher rate.
"Residents in those communities are probably going to be coming down to use our facilities here because they don't have those programs and services anymore," Gilbert said. "I think there's been some changes in the landscape within the Okanagan and surrounding communities."
For 18 months, residents of Vernon have received reduced-cost services and early registration privileges for recreation programs due to the new structure. Non-residents pay more, but only if their local governments are not participating in a "fee-for-service" agreement with the City of Vernon.
"I'd like to see what they've learned from it," Gilbert said.
In his notice of motion, the first-term councillor added that residents’ taxes fund facilities, programs, and services "and should receive enhanced benefits."
"This is something you should do up front when you're building a facility, not necessarily looking back and establishing pricing," Watt said in opposition to the idea.
