The City of Boulder is considering a series of changes to its recreation facilities, including higher daily entry fees, new membership categories and paid court reservations, in an effort to close a growing budget gap.
Several funds that pay for parks and recreation operations are projected to have diminishing fund balances in the coming years. The Recreation Activity Fund, for example, is projected to be $3.5 million in the red by 2030, even after tapping its reserve funds. The proposed fee changes are expected to generate roughly $700,000 in 2026.
The fees are part of a larger strategy, as the city manager has proposed closing a $7.5 million budget hole in 2026 by trimming programs and departments and raising fees, including at recreation centers and for parking, business licensing, permits and water utilities.
“We know that [recreation] costs have increased phenomenally over the last five years or so, and so we’re not meeting our cost recovery targets because expenses just continued to increase,” Scott Shuttenberg, Parks and Recreation deputy director, told the department’s advisory board in August. “We also know there’s a tipping point here. We need to remain affordable.”
Under the plan, Boulder recreation facilities would be split into three categories: rec centers (North, East and South), outdoor pools (Scott Carpenter and Spruce) and the Boulder Reservoir. Residents could purchase a pass for one category, or a discounted “all-access” pass covering all three. A resident adult annual rec center membership would remain the same, at $756. An annual all-access pass for resident adults would cost around $1,136. Monthly and 10-punch options would also be available. Officials say two-thirds of members currently use only one type of facility, suggesting the new model better reflects usage patterns.
Adult daily rates for rec centers and pools are currently $12, which would rise to $15. Subsidies would decrease from 25% to 20% for seniors and from 40% to 25% for youth for daily entries and memberships. Seniors currently pay $9 and youth $7.
At the reservoir, car passes would allow five people before charging $5 per additional rider. Household passes would be limited to four members, affecting larger families.
Seasonal passes for pools and the reservoir, covering Memorial Day through Labor Day, are also proposed. The 2025 resident rate for the Unlimited Summer Fun Pass is $216 for adults, $162 for seniors and $126 for youth. An 11% increase is proposed under the new system. That pass would be in addition to a rec center pass.
One of the biggest changes would end the ability of rec center members to reserve tennis and pickleball courts as part of their membership. Instead, the reservation system would be open to everyone. All users could book courts for $10 per hour, while drop-in play would remain free.
“The fact that our rec center courts are the only courts that take reservations with memberships means they oftentimes get monopolized by just a few people,” Parks and Recreation Director Alison Rhodes told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
City staff acknowledged that the measures would not fully close the funding gap. Further changes are expected in the coming years.
The final rates are expected to be approved by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in October as part of the city budget process, with the changes taking effect by mid-November.
The city is planning to maintain free access to recreation centers, pools and the Boulder Reservoir for residents who earn up to 60% of the area median income, about $61,000 for an individual.
I believe Boulder City employees, of which there are many (1200) can receive a free or at least discounted rec. ctr. pass. Perhaps this should be rescinded. If the fee is approximately $1000/year, that would free up $1,200,000/year, a value when averaged over four years which wipes out the projected debt of $3,500,000, leaving a substantial surplus, relative to the extent that city employees decide to pay for a pass.
Interesting idea, Larry! As I too find it dubious we the taxpayers are supposed to make all these personal sacrifices to fill a growing budget hole, yet the city staunchly refuses to take more drastic measures beyond picking our pockets. So it’s def not heresy to expect maybe City Gov employees outta give up some generous perks as well. It’s also worth noting this deficit would disappear entirely and boost the budget substantially if they bothered to tax real estate investors and property owners that conspire to keep their business spaces vacant to claim a tax write-off on the “lost revenue”. It’s completely insane they continue to ignore the elephant in the room as to why exactly almost 50% of business space is chronically vacant..
The “seasonal passes for pools and the reservoir, covering Memorial Day through Labor Day” does or does not include the pools in the rec centers?
Disability rates were not mentioned. I agree with Larry Bensen, who commented that the free passes to City employees should go away.
Listen Larry,
The pass is $756, as stated, not a grand. And there’s no universe where 100% those 1200 people will pay the full price of that pass for next 5 years on city worker’s salary.
Wow, these changes are really penalizing families. It caps family size such that it costs $100 extra to add a 2 year old if you have more than two kids. And families are disproportionately hurt by charging 35% more for using Scott Carpenter pool and the reservoir. Who uses only rec centers and not the outdoor pools? Single or kid-free adults. Who uses both? Families.
If there’s a budget deficit, let everyone share the cost equally (DINKs, city employees, and families) rather than just hurting the few families that actually still live in the city.