Sports leagues won't have to pay new fees this year

Toronto sports leagues for children and teens are getting a one-year reprieve on new fees imposed by the city that blindsided groups with hefty charges for using city fields.

The 11th-hour decision came as councillors prepared to debate the controversial fees this coming Tuesday. It followed a series of meetings in the mayor's office Thursday afternoon, including one half-hour sit down with councillors Janet Davis and Sarah Doucette. The two councillors – both vocal critics of the new charges – say they had the support of the majority of councillors for a motion to cancel the fees for this summer.

The new fees, passed in January as part of the city's 2012 budget, ended the practice of giving children and youth sports clubs free access to city playing fields. The charges were included, but went unnoticed, in a review of city user fees and passed council without debate.

Earlier this week, close to 200 parents, players and volunteers filled the council chamber at city hall to express their outrage at the new charges, which came without warning and long after most had booked field time and collected player fees for the coming season.

"I'm really glad that the mayor came around to the conclusion that we had to waive the fees for 2012," said Ms. Davis, who helped organize the special meeting.

"I think there was a great deal of pressure on the mayor from councillors on all sides to find a solution."

As news of the agreement came out, there also was some competition to take credit for the deal.

Councillor David Shiner, the only member of the mayor's executive committee to attend this week's public meeting, told reporters that Mayor Rob Ford would be making the fee issue his key item at Tuesday's meeting – a signal of high priority from the mayor's office that puts it first on the council agenda.

Mr. Shiner said he is preparing a motion to waive this year's fees that either he or Mr. Ford will present to council. "We are not going to charge this year," he said.

What is still unclear is how the city will make up for the $1.5-million in revenue the new fees were expected to generate. Ms. Davis and others want the city to draw from the surplus, a move that will require re-opening the budget. Mr. Shiner and Mr. Ford want staff to find the savings within this year's budget. Mr. Shiner says that is possible because of the savings achieved by the recent union-contract settlements.

Sports groups raised the alarm about the new fees more than a month ago, when they began to get notice of the charges, which in many cases were in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Asked why it took so long for the mayor to address their concerns, Mr. Shiner said it took time to find a solution and to determine where the money would be made up.

As part of his motion, staff will be asked to consult with sports groups and present a report to the executive committee on a strategy for fees in future years.

Tapinder Singh from the Toronto & District Cricket Association was relieved to hear of the mayor's support. Several parents told him they couldn't afford an increase and would be pulling their children out of the game. Mr. Singh would like the mayor to make further concessions.

"First of all, the fees should never have been raised without talking to the impacted parties," he said. "But leaving that aside, what we really need is to see a reduction in fees or an increase in the quality of service."

The grass on the fields is not cut short enough to meet cricket standards, he said.

Edward Nagy, a coach with the Armour Heights Soccer Club, said he hopes he gets a partial refund on the $1,005 he paid to secure Baycrest Park for his players.

With a report from Tamara Baluja