DECATUR, Ga. — The city of Decatur has done a price hike in its parks and rec fees, and some community members said they’re concerned about those hikes because it might price them out of their activities.
“We’ve been dancing here for many years, in fact, decades and our rates have gone up by almost three times, almost four times. This is something that, as a nonprofit organization, we really can’t sustain," said Contra Dance member Amanda Setili.
For the 2023/2024 fiscal year, it now costs between $75 and $625 to rent a room at the Decatur Recreation Center.
Last year, it cost $70 to $110 an hour for the group to rent the gymnasium where dances are held.
The change in fees has the dance group shopping around for another venue to rent, but it could also have a big impact on the city’s economy.
“We bring tens of thousands of dollars of revenue to Decatur businesses. Every Friday night, we go out to eat and enjoy one of the establishments in downtown Decatur," said Setili.
The dance group holds events every week that draw hundreds of people from all over.
Some of the members of the group brought their concerns to the city commission.
The commission committed to trying to work with the nonprofit to make it feasible to keep dance alive at the center.
“So as we look going forward into how we charge out fees. How e make that pie that is our budget sliced for the greater good let’s keep in mind that its not just the people we serve but its also the organizations that are helping us," said one commissioner.
So far, there’s been no change in the room rental fees, but the group remains hopeful the commission will come up with a solution to allow them to stay at the center.
“Maybe we don’t always get things right, but we can admit that we don’t get things right and demonstrate some empathy," said one commissioner.
A link to the 2023-2024 fees can be found here.