Coral Springs’ newly adopted fee schedule is drawing opposition from a youth sports leader concerned that higher city charges will be passed on to families already struggling with the cost of recreational programs.
Eleanor Schnell, who serves on the board of the nonprofit Coral Springs Basketball Club, says the city’s new fee schedule raises the fee for each of her club’s participants from approximately $14 to $50 per participant, per season.
“This fee is in addition to the registration fees families already pay and is charged directly to the league,” said Schnell, who founded a Facebook group called Coral Springs Residents Against Youth Sports Fee Increase. “Because nonprofit leagues operate on tight budgets, these higher costs will likely be passed on to families through increased registration fees.”
The city commission approved the citywide fee changes on June 16 and they took effect July 1, according to Lynne Martzall, the city’s executive director of communications and intergovernmental affairs.
“The city periodically reviews administrative and user fees to ensure they more accurately reflect the cost of providing services,” Martzall said.
She said most charges rose only by the Consumer Price Index.
“Most fees only increased by the Consumer Price Index (CPI, 2.8%) based on the city resolution that allows us to increase user fees by CPI annually,” Martzall said.
The changes cover a wide range of parks and recreation services, including athletic fields, league participation, pools, pavilions, playgrounds, gymnasium rentals, camps, and tournament use.
A full list of the fee changes can be found here, beginning on page 728 of the city’s June 16 commission meeting document package.
Opposition organized through Schnell’s Facebook group has centered on the fee charged to nonprofit recreational sports leagues for each player, season, and sport.
Schnell said her organization operates four seasons each year for children from age six through high school, along with adult men’s and women’s leagues, and has more than 1,800 registrations annually.
“Under the previous fee, our participants collectively paid approximately $25,200 annually in city user fees,” Schnell told Coral Springs Talk. “Under the new fee, that amount jumps to $90,000—an increase of nearly $65,000 every year from our organization alone.”
“When you multiply that impact across all of Coral Springs’ recreational sports leagues—including baseball, softball, soccer, football, volleyball, and others—the additional cost to local families is enormous,” Schnell said.
She said families with multiple children, or children participating during several seasons, could face hundreds of dollars in additional costs each year.
“Recreational sports provide far more than games,” Schnell said. “They keep kids active, teach teamwork and discipline, build friendships, and provide a safe, positive environment after school. Pricing families out of these programs hurts our entire community.”
The youth sports fee is one part of a broader revision of the city’s fee schedule.
“Cost recovery through fees varies by program, and averages to recover less than five percent of the actual costs to maintain the courts, fields or facilities needed for that sport,” Martzall said.
Martzall said the parks and recreation fees were part of a 10-month review involving multiple city departments, including Building, Fire, Engineering, and Development Services. The review began in August 2025 and was unrelated to a proposed Property Tax Amendment discussed on social media, she said.
The revised recreation structure was developed after the city researched comparable municipal programs, she said. Parks and Recreation officials also regularly meet with sports leagues to discuss fees and schedules.
“The city’s general fund continues to subsidize most recreation amenities because they provide a broader community benefit,” Martzall said. “The city continues to provide affordable, high-quality recreational opportunities for Coral Springs families while balancing the cost of delivering these services responsibly.”
Schnell argues that even a heavily subsidized service can become unaffordable when charges are multiplied across siblings, sports, and seasons.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to play, learn, grow, and be part of a team, not be sidelined because of higher costs,” Schnell wrote in the Facebook group.
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