Report
The City of Portland has contradictory goals for recreation services, according to our audit. The Bureau of Parks and Recreation wants community centers to charge fees to pay for activities while also ensuring access to all.
Published
The City has contradictory goals for recreation services. It wants community centers to charge fees for activities while also ensuring all Portland residents have access to them. When community centers offer scholarships to help those who cannot afford the fees, they lose revenue they need to operate. Geographic disparities also exist because the amount of each scholarship provided is based on the discretion of individual managers, which differs from center to center.
City Council should reconcile its conflicting policy direction that calls for access to recreation activities for all with its budget direction to generate increased revenue through fees.