At their meeting on Tuesday night, council members debated a motion to charge non-residents fees for city facilities.
Councillor Paul Chaves put forward the motion, citing budget constraints and the need to prioritize local taxpayers. Suggestions for implementation included additional fees for non-residents and priority access for Kingston residents to services like recreational programs and facility bookings.
However, several councillors were concerned that implementing measures would not be “neighbourly”, and could cause tensions between Kingston and surrounding municipalities.
“My one concern here is just in light of sort of what’s going on with the States right now is, you know, are we going to start a resident, non-resident user fee war with all our neighbors,” said Counc. Ryan Boehme.
Ultimately, council voted 11-2 to explore the idea further, with city staff tasked to research recommendations for potential implementation in time to be considered for the 2026 city budget.
