It’s going to get more expensive to play pickleball in the Town of The Blue Mountains.
At its committee of the whole meeting on Feb. 24, council approved the 2025 fees and charges bylaw that includes a reduction to the subsidy pickleball players currently receive when using town-owned pickleball courts.
Council approved the bylaw in a 4-3 vote with councillors Paula Hope, Alex Maxwell and June Porter opposed. The bylaw will now come to the March 10 meeting of council for final approval.
The reduction of the pickleball subsidy from 30 per cent 10 per cent proposed in the 2025 draft budget generated significant public opposition at the town’s public budget meeting held on Feb. 18. At that meeting, council received dozens of comments expressing concerns and opposition to the increase.
“I am shocked at the ... increase in pickleball court fees being considered for the 2025 Town of The Blue Mountains budget,” Christine Laskoski said in a letter written to council on the matter. “The proposed increase may push pickleball out of reach for some seniors who are on a fixed budget.”
At the Feb. 24 committee of the whole meeting, council considered a follow up report from staff on the public budget meeting that addressed the pickleball comments that had been received. Staff explained that pickleball has been receiving a 30 per cent subsidy discount on the costs of renting town-owned courts. The 2025 budget proposes the subsidy be reduced to 10 per cent.
The 2024 pickleball fees were: $15/court/hour minus the 30 per cent subsidy provided to user groups resulting in a rate of $10.50/court/hour. This equated to a cost of $2.63 per person per hour (assuming four players). The 2025 fees would increase the pickleball fees to $20/court/hour less a 10 per cent subsidy for user groups resulting in a rate of $18/court/hour or $4.50 per person (based on 4 participants).
“The changes were based on looking at other municipalities,” said Monica Quinlan, the town’s finance director, who said no other municipalities provide a subsidy for pickleball court rentals.
Ryan Gibbons, the town’s director of community services, said town staff are reviewing all recreation subsidies that are currently offered and will be bringing a full report to council in the near future. Gibbons said the intent is to develop a subsidy policy for the community.
Gibbons and Quinlan also noted that all users of recreation facilities in the town receive a subsidy of some form from the town. On the whole, the community services department costs taxpayers $3.8 million per year.