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From Denver recreation centers to golf permits, the Denver Parks and Recreation Department is looking to increase fees across the board for the amenities it offers.

The Denver City Council today is introducing a bill that would raise fees and charges over the next seven years by around 12 percent for the services offered by Denver Parks and Recreation. The proposed fee hike is part of an effort by the city department to reach a 30-percent cost recovery index (CRI), meaning they would recoup 30 cents out of every dollar they spend. The department currently operates at an 18-percent CRI.

“It’s really about offering the best system,” said Jill McGranahan, spokeswoman for Denver Parks and Recreation. “We’re not looking to be a for-profit (department). We are simply looking to cover a percentage of our costs so we can continue to operate.”

Denver City Councilwoman Judy Montero, however, says she is worried about raising fees for children. Since the state has proposed transitioning some recreation centers to non-profit agencies because of low attendance, Montero worries that increasing the fees would result in an even lower turnout, which could end up with the state closing the centers.

Meanwhile, McGranahan said that scholarships would be available for anyone who couldn’t afford the increase. As a result, the gradual rate hike shouldn’t have any effect on attendance or the possible closure of a recreation center, she said.

“We raise the fees for those who can afford it, and for those who can’t we make those options available,” she said.

Denver Parks and Recreation has been considering raising fees across the board for several years. According to McGranahan, almost every other city’s department of parks and recreation operates at 30-percent CRI.

The fees and charges would increase at a rate of around two percent a year until 2017.

Dave Felice of the Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation initially called the proposed increase an unfortunate necessity. Because of the city’s cash-strapped budget and the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which requires voters to approve all tax increases, city departments are forced to raise fees to stay afloat, he said.

However, Felice worries that raising fees could end up hurting the people who need the services the most.

“Particularly in recreation centers, it’s been proven over and again that people who use the centers stay out of trouble,” he said.

McGranahan believes that slightly raising fees is better than the alternatives. The department has already reduced its staff, but “you can’t just continue to cut employees to match the budget and expect to offer the level of service that is required.”

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