LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. (WFLA) — Demand for athletic fields in Pasco County is growing, exponentially. However, the number of fields is not.
The county says the majority of its athletic facilities and complexes were opened in the 80s or 90s, despite the population nearly doubling since then.
To help manage high demand, the county is considering charging Little League and other recreational groups an hourly usage fee, per county field. It’s a cost other counties levy on their recreational sports groups, but not Pasco.
The suggestion has Land O’ Lakes Little League, which has played at the Land O’ Lakes Recreational Complex since it opened in the 80s, more than a little mad.
LOLLL accounts for approximately 75 percent of the field use at the rec center.
Mock invoices show the potential price tag well above $20,000 a season for a league as large as LOLLL. The county hoped when issuing those invoices, leagues would see the cost and be willing to compromise.
However, after a heated meeting at the rec center Tuesday night, LOLLL president Gary Gwinn said he fears they’ll continue to lose their field access to more profitable travel and adult leagues.
“Once they get their foot in the door, they take another night from us and then we won’t have fields,” Gwinn said.
The county argues running Little League out of town is nowhere near their endgame.
“It is our priority to ensure the have a place,” said Pasco County Parks and Recreation director Keith Wiley. “But we also have to figure out how to address the other users in the community as well.”
A fourth and final meeting on this issue between the county and concerned parents and league officials will happen on December 16th in Holiday.
