KSTP: Mpls. Parks Board to discuss raising fees
KSTP Channel 5 is also reporting on the Park Board's proposed fee increases. Their website article opens with the following:
Fundraisers and festivals may have to find new homes, if a proposal to increase Minneapolis park fees goes into effect.
For the last 35 years, the Twin Cities Pride celebration has taken place in Loring Park in June.
The fee to use the park is set to go from $10,478 to $58,000 under the Park Board’s 2008 budget.
"I'd like to believe there's room to evaluate and negotiate. But can we just write a check for a raise of 400 percent? No," said Pride coordinator Cheryl Maloney. "They've had six months to work with this and they didn't have the decency to contact the non-profits."
Twin Cities Pride isn’t the only organization affected. The price for the AIDS walk could go from $8,613 to $23,105. The March of Dimes Walk could be doubled from $6,723 to $12,550.