Increased Recreation Fees To Impact Alpharetta, Milton Residents

ALPHARETTA, GA — The cities of Alpharetta and Milton are informing residents that they will be subjected to increased recreation fees due to an expiration of an agreement between the two municipalities.

The agreement, which was approved in 2012, waived non-resident fees for parks and recreation programs in both cities. For example, residents in one city who wanted to participate in a program offered by the other would not have to pay a non-resident fee on top of the registration fee.

Unfortunately, since the agreement has not been renewed between the cities, residents in one city will have to pay the non-resident fee, which could add as much as 75 percent to the registration price, the city of Milton said. However, both cities did say they will honor the agreement for programs that began registering participants before Jan. 8.

Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin said representatives of both cities are collaborating to iron out the terms of a new agreement "that will best serve the needs of our citizens."

"Our citizens are neighbors, friends, and our kids attend the same schools," he said. "It makes sense that we find a way for those kids to be able to play in the same parks without some parents having to pay more than others for that to happen."

Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood said his city is also committed to offering a variety of programs to residents in both cities while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

"Milton and Alpharetta have a history of working together to benefit our neighboring communities, and we enjoy a very strong, close relationship that we believe will help us as we move forward with negotiating a new agreement that makes sense for both our cities," Lockwood said.

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