Public Hearing for Tucson Parks and Recreation Proposed Fee Changes

Published on April 08, 2026

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The City of Tucson will hold a public hearing on proposed Parks and Recreation rate and fee changes at the Mayor and Council meeting on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, beginning at or around 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 255 W Alameda Street. Community members are encouraged to participate and may speak during the public hearing. 

Following a vote at the April 7, 2026, Mayor and Council meeting, the City issued a notice of intent (NOI) for proposed rate and fee changes, as required by Arizona Revised Statutes § 9-499.15, for Tucson Parks and Recreation. The department held multiple public and user group meetings from April 8 to May 17, 2026. The department reviewed hundreds of comments received from the community and made adjustments to the final fee proposal up for adoption.

 

Key changes from the original proposal based on community feedback include: 

  • Eliminating the proposed pickleball user fees at Morris K. Udall Park in favor of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tucson Area Pickleball for maintenance and fundraising for future investment. 
  • Adding a Lap Swim Daily Punch Pass option in addition to the monthly pass to align with the frequency of use that meets a swimmer’s unique needs.
  • Removal of the Therapy Pool pass
  • The Lap Swim Pass (punch and monthly) fee will go into effect Sept. 1, 2026. There will be no cost progression called out at this time, to allow this new program to be evaluated for future fee change recommendations. 
  • Aquatic-based fitness classes – Instead of the original proposal of 100% cost recovery, the classes will increase by 15% of the current class cost each year for four years. For example, a $48 class in year one will increase by 15% to $55.20 as of July 1, 2026. This will allow those who take the classes currently to better plan to absorb the impact of the increase.
  • Summer KIDCO, In Betweeners Club, and Learn to Swim will go into effect in January instead of July. 

Learn More: Parks and Recreation Rate and Fee Proposal 

Tucson Parks and Recreation is proposing updates to its fee schedule as part of a broader effort to better recover the cost of delivering public services and maintain the quality of Tucson’s parks, pools, and recreation programs.

Why Are Fees Changing? 

The department conducted an internal cost-of-service analysis and found that many current fees do not adequately cover the cost of providing programs and maintaining facilities. The proposed changes aim to close that gap, fund ongoing maintenance, and introduce fees for newly offered services, while keeping programs accessible to residents who need financial assistance.

What Happens Next? 

  • June 9, 2026: Mayor and City Council public hearing for adoption of the proposed fee schedule

Key Fee Changes at a Glance

All fees below are City of Tucson resident rates. Non-residents are subject to an increased fee. The department is proposing to update its non-resident surcharge from 25% to 50% above the resident fee.

Youth Programs

*These programs are Discount Program eligible.

View a graphic representation of the fees at the link below. 

Current Fees

  • KIDCO Summer Camp: $31.25/week or $125 per 4-week session
  • In-Betweeners Summer Camp: $8/week or $64 per 8-week session
  • KIDCO Afterschool: $50/month or $500/school year
  • School's Out Camps: $5/day or $25/week

New Fees

  • KIDCO Summer Camp: $50/week or $200 per 4-week session (starting Jan. 1, 2027)
  • In-Betweeners Summer Camp: $12.50/week or $100 per 8-week session  (starting Jan. 1, 2027)
  • KIDCO Afterschool: $67.50/month or $675/school year (starting July 1, 2026)
  • School's Out Camps: $10/day or $50/week (starting July 1, 2026)

Fee Progression — Fees continue increasing through 2029/2030 for all programs

Additional Notes

  • All four programs are Discount Program eligible
  • Non-resident rate is proposed to increase from 125% to 150% of the resident rate

 

Sports

View the updated proposed fees in the chart linked below. 

The department wants to provide additional clarity on the proposed Youth Sports Team fee. Currently, youth sports user groups only pay fees related to field lighting or secondary season field use, despite accounting for approximately 80% of all City sports field usage. 

The proposed fee would partially recover costs associated with field use and allocation while introducing greater accountability in the field request process. It is also expected to more equitably distribute field allocations each season, where demand consistently exceeds availability, and to reduce recurring complaints about fields sitting unused during peak sports seasons. As part of this proposal, the existing secondary use fee would be eliminated. 

Current Fees

  • Youth Sport Team: No fee
  • Adult Field Rental: $20 daytime (3 hrs), $30 nighttime (2 hrs), $15 Reid baseball surcharge
  • Tournament: $155 Profit / $80 Non-profit
  • Field Lining: $25 per instance
  • Pickleball Courts at Udall Park: No current fee

New Fees (Beginning July 1, 2026)

  • Youth Sport Team: $100 per team, per season
  • Adult Field Rental: $44 regular field (2 hrs), $66 game-only field (2 hrs); Seniors free M–F before noon
  • Tournament: $180 Profit / $90 Non-profit (non-profit = 50% of profit fee)
  • Field Lining: $40 Softball/Baseball, $200 Soccer/Ultimate Frisbee, $340 Football/Rugby/Lacrosse (after initial lining)
  • Pickleball Courts: Proposed MOU with Tucson Area Pickleball

Fee Progression (Youth Sport Team & Tournament only)

  • Fees continue increasing annually through July 1, 2029

Additional Notes

  • Non-resident rate proposed to increase from 125% to 150% of the resident rate
  • Game-only field applies to Reid and Lincoln parks (fields 5–8)

 

 

Aquatics

View the updated proposed fees on the chart linked below. 

Current Fees

  • Learn to Swim: $15 for 8, 30-minute classes
  • Lap Swim Pass: No current fee
  • Aquatics-Based Fitness Classes: $21–$48 per session
  • Private Learn to Swim Lessons: Not currently offered
  • Exclusive Pool Use: $50/hour
  • Shared Use Lap Lane Rental: $6/lane/hour (short course), $15/lane/hour (long course)
  • Swim Meet & Special Event Use: $100/hour

New Fees

  • Learn to Swim: $25 for 8 classes (starting Jan. 1, 2027)
  • Lap Swim Pass: $2 daily / $30 monthly (starting Sept. 1, 2026)
  • Aquatics-Based Fitness Classes: +15% increase (starting July 1, 2026, then +15% each year through 2029)
  • Private Lessons: $160 for 8 classes (starting July 1, 2026)
  • Exclusive Pool Use: $100/hour
  • Shared Use Lap Lane Rental: $18/lane/hour
  • Swim Meet & Special Event Use: $150/hour (includes 30-min prep and breakdown)

Fee Progression — Most fees continue increasing annually through 2029/2030

Additional Notes

  • Learn to Swim is Discount Program eligible
  • Non-resident rate proposed to increase from 125% to 150% of the resident rate

CLASS FEE EXAMPLES

All fees are subject to the new proposed non-resident rate of 150% of the resident rate (resident rate + 50%). The current non-resident rate is 125% of resident rate.

Table showing current fees and projected 15% annual fee increases from 2026 through 2029 for six aquatic fitness classes — Aqua Sculpt, AquaFit, Aqualates, Arthritis/MS, Core Stability, and Deep AquaFit — with resident and non-resident pricing listed for each year.

 

Other Fees (Classes, Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair, Golf)

View the chart of the proposed fees updates at the link below.

Current Fees

  • Leisure Class: 77% cost recovery
  • Open Studio Time: $75 for 10-punch pass or $7.50/hour
  • Open Area Rental Fee: No current fee
  • Holiday Arts and Crafts Vendor Fee: $90 per weekend
  • Golf Course Capital Fee: No current fee

New Fees (Beginning July 1, 2026)

  • Leisure Class: 100% direct cost recovery (maintained through 2029)
  • Open Studio Time: $90 for 10-punch pass or $10/hour
  • Open Area Rental Fee: Up to $100/hour (allows pre/post use of spaces by external groups)
  • Holiday Arts and Crafts Vendor Fee: $150 per weekend
  • Golf Course Capital Fee: $2 per round added on top of existing golf fee

Fee Progression (Holiday Arts and Crafts Vendor Fee only)

  • July 1, 2027: $175 | July 1, 2028: $200 | July 1, 2029: $225

Additional Notes

  • Non-resident rate proposed to increase from 125% to 150% of the resident rate

 

Expanded Income-Based Discounts

To ensure that cost increases do not price out lower-income families, the department is proposing a new, expanded Discount Program aligned with Tucson Water’s low-income assistance scale. Discounts would apply to all KIDCO, School's Out, In-Betweeners Club, and Learn to Swim programs and are based on Federal Poverty Level (FPL):  

  • At or below 100% FPL: 80% discount
  • At or below 125% FPL: 60% discount 
  • At or below 150% FPL: 40% discount 
  • At or below 200% FPL: 20% discount  

This would replace the current flat 50% discount at or below 175% FPL, creating a more graduated system that provides greater support to the families who need it most. 

 

 

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