New Milford Town Council Increases Park Fees for Residents

The next time you're heading to one of New Milford's many parks, you're going to have to pay a little more to get in.

The New Milford Town Council recently approved an increase for park fees. What that means is that it will cost residents a few dollars more to enjoy the beauty of many of the local parks.

The timing of this increase comes at a difficult time for the Park and Recreation Department who are trying to raise their revenue and at the same time dealing with all the fallout from the pandemic. That was very evident in the serious debate that spawned between council members.

Not everyone was on the same page when it came to the increase, especially the increase that will effect the senior citizen community.

Here's what one of the council members, Councilwoman Mary Jane Lundgren told newstimes.com:

People need a break right now, it's a bad time to increase any fees for residents considering people are struggling so much, some even unable to put food on the table, nonetheless pay a park fee.

Mary Jane did abstain from voting, but the increase did pass by a 6-1 margin.

Here are some of the increases that were approved by the Town Council:

• $100 boat slip and sticker fee increase, with seniors having their fee raised $75 from the previous year.
• Vehicle passes will increase by $5 with a $40 payment for any secondary cars within the same family.
• The Summer Playground camp program will also increase, with the first child in each family costing an additional $70 from the previous year.
• Park and program fees for non residents will also grow slightly.

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