Escalon staff signals possible recreation fee update, reviews sponsorship and subsidy trade‑offs

City recreation staff told the Recreation Commission on Aug. 6 that the city is preparing a proposal to review recreation fees and discussed how program subsidies and sponsorship rules affect equipment, jerseys and sponsor value.

Staff said the city currently subsidizes the recreation program and that planners will present fee‑update options for commission and council review in the coming months.

Why it matters: fees and sponsorship policy determine program affordability, equipment quality and what the city can sustain without increasing subsidies.

Key points - Subsidy and fees: a staff member said the city subsidized the recreation program by about $200,000 in the current year and that staff will present a fee‑update proposal with supporting cost data to the commission and council. - Sponsorships: sponsors previously appeared on team jerseys; new league partnerships (MLS/other providers) limit shirt sponsorship for some sports. Parents expressed concern that sponsorships as structured could function like a paid‑placement to lock a child on a team; staff said they will review sponsorship levels and consider alternate visibility (banners, web recognition, social media posts) when feasible.

Quotes - “The city, I think, subsidized the recreation the recreation area, like, $200,000 this year,” — recreation staff member. - “We will put the math behind, you know, sort of where we're at, what it costs to run the league, and what maybe a a revised fee schedule could look like,” — recreation staff member.

Next steps Staff said they will prepare a fee‑update package for the commission’s review, including data on program costs, equipment needs and proposed fee levels; any change would be subject to council approval.

Ending Staff emphasized balancing affordability with program quality and asked the commission and community to weigh trade‑offs before the fee proposal reaches council.