What Clearwater's Saying: 'Unjust' Rec Card Fees?

Clearwater Patch readers have been sharing their thoughts about the city’s recreation card costs.

A mother described her experience trying to sign up her 6-year-old daughter to Clearwater Little League in a Letter to the Editor.

But those recreation card costs are not new to the city, officials said.

Clearwater has had the requirement for players in city leagues, which includes Clearwater Little League, for five years. The changes were made during budget reductions, she said.

The cost for the card for city residents is $7, unincorporated Clearwater residents pay $180.

Here's what some other readers had to say:

John J. Murphy: "I have been fighting this cost ever since I became a board member of the board at Clearwater Little League five years ago. The first time I even heard about the fees was at registration at the Long Center. A mother was standing outside the registration area frantically crying on the phone to her husband about not being able to sign her daughter up for softball because of the fee.
That year the city reduced the Rec Card fee due to an arrangement with Pinellas county over the building of Joe DiMaggio park off Drew. The next year the fee returned to the 190 fee per child cost. We fought it again and it was reduced to $160 per player."

Attorney Matthew Noyes: "I could not sign my son up for Clearwater baseball because of the rec card fee. My address is Clearwater, a lot of my money is spent in Clearwater, but they want to charge me $175 more than my neighbor across the street? I don't think so!"

Thomas Lippert: "I am one of those kids that played ball at Sid Lickton when I was a kid. Now at 61 I read that the families have to come up with $180.00 if they do not live in the city of Clearwater so their kids can play ball. Just what we need for our struggling households in this rough economic times so our children can have outside calorie burning, exercises!"

What do you think? Post a comment below and join the conversation.

Related coverage:

• City Does Not Subsidize Rec Card Fee for Clearwater Little League
• Rec Card Fees Reduce Clearwater Little League Turnout
• Major Renovation to Clearwater Landmark Could Be Approved by City Council
• Letter to the Editor: Clearwater Rec Card Fees 'Unjust'