TITLE:
title
PARKS AND RECREATION PROPOSED USER FEE INCREASES
end
DEPARTMENT: FINANCE
PRESENTED BY: ANNA ACOSTA-REYES, FINANCE MANAGER
CONTACT INFORMATION: ANNA ACOSTA-REYES, FINANCE MANAGER, (714) 754-5219
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends that the Parks and Recreation Commission review and approve proposed user fee increases to become effective for Fiscal Year 2026-2027.
end
BACKGROUND:
Fee-related services typically benefit a particular individual, business, or group. Since these services typically provide a specific benefit, communities often seek to recover all, or a portion of, the costs of providing fee-related services from those benefiting from the service provided. This allows unobligated revenues to be more purposefully directed to funding services provided to the community (e.g., public safety services).
User and regulatory fees are established by the City Council.
On June 6, 2023, the City Council approved the consolidated schedule of user and regulatory fees for various city services. The purpose of this action was to consolidate the City's multiple existing user and regulatory fees into one schedule and implement a practice of annual review and adjustment of fees. Implementing this practice will continue to provide multiple benefits including:
* Increasing the availability of General Fund revenues to be used for services and activities available to all Costa Mesa residents and businesses, such as public safety services.
* Keeping pace with general cost inflation.
* Avoiding fee spikes that are more likely to occur when municipalities leave fees unchanged for a multi-year period.
* Providing fee payers, City staff, and City policymakers with a pattern of consistency that provides information for forecasting and decision-making purposes.
* Encouraging generational equity among fee payers by avoiding long-term stagnation of fees followed by significant fee increases.
The consolidated schedule enhances transparency and...
Click here for full text