Township Councilmen Approve Recreation Fee Increases

Members of the Washington Township council unanimously approved an ordinance raising fees for Recreation Department activities during the meeting Monday night. The new fees represent a .

During the public hearing Monday, township resident Bob Bruno told council members he thought the fees were high and asked what would happen for families who couldn't afford the additional costs. He explained that he was involved in youth sports programs previously and knew of families who couldn't pay the fees then.

Mayor Janet Sobkowicz and council members said there are provisions in place to assist families who can't afford the costs.

"Fees have gone up. Everything’s gone up," Councilman Joseph D'Urso said. "It's just a matter of trying to offset expenses that go along with a lot of sports."

Councilman Richard Hrbek pointed out that there are more regulations for sports, greater operational costs and since the programs have expanded, greater use of fields and gyms.

"All those costs just keep compounding," Hrbek said. "It's something that we try to progress and we did spend quite a bit of time in picking those numbers."

The council unanimously approved the ordinance to set the new fees, which are outlined below.