“Pickleball Taxes”? It’s more likely than you think

VaselineSeptember 27, 2024

0 4 minutes read

“Pickleball Taxes”? It’s more likely than you think

In the past four years, the number of people playing pickleball in the United States has increased 223.5 percent to more than 36 million, according to reports from USA Pickleball and the Pickleball Players Association.

A cross between tennis, ping-pong and badminton, pickleball is popular due to several factors: its social nature, the simplicity of the rules and relatively cheap start-up costs.

But what if the cost of supporting pickleball goes up for towns and cities?

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The sudden increase in the number of “picklers” increased the demand. So some communities are scrambling to build courts or adopt new rules to cope with the growth. Funding sometimes comes from creative sources, such as tax increases or what some consider double taxation in the form of pay-to-play schemes.

Maybe pickleball is more than paddles, fitness and fun. Is it time to rethink how we fund it?

Pickleball courts or infrastructure?

A changing tax structure in Gilbert, Arizona has transformed heads in recent months.

The city is looking to raise existing taxes (from hotels to bars and restaurants) from 1.5% to 2%. In addition, local officials would like to adopt a new 2 percent user tax when the city previously had none.

Taxes will be paid by residents, tourists and online sellers.

So what are these fees for?

“Infrastructure needs.” This includes splash boards and yes, pickleball courts.

Local officials (including the city’s budget director) say that the proposed fees would “meet current resident needs and future requirements” and that “there is a need to continue to provide critical infrastructure”.

However, to non-pickleballers, these “critical” “needs” charges might be considered “illegal.”

According to the Goldwater Institute, a public policy research organization, the proposed tax increases violate the state constitution. The organization claims Arizona laws do not allow “new taxes or tax increases on ‘services’ … including hospitality businesses.”

The institute sent a letter To the mayor and members of the local council who express these concerns. The city of Gilbert provided a statement to a local news outlet snuffdefending the legality of the sales tax increases and reiterating that the taxes would support “critical infrastructure needs.”

The final vote on the proposed tax increases will take place at the end of October.

Meanwhile, concerned residents have taken to social media to voice their opinions. Some Reviewers on Instagram generally appear to oppose some of the new proposed tax increases, citing water bills and other taxes that are already high.

That kind of pushback might be why other communities are adopting so-called “pickleball taxes” for players to use public parks, rather than proposing infrastructure tax hikes for everyone.

The ‘Pickleball Tax’: Do People Pay to Play Pickleball?

The growing demand for pickleball courts has led some cities to charge fees to use park space that was free, known to some as “pickleball fees.”

For example, last year the Californian coastal city of Santa Cruz introduced an app reservation system. The purpose was to charge for access to the pickleball court.

Under this new fee-for-access program:

People scan a QR code and make a reservation for between 30 and 120 minutes
Players are charged a residential fee of $7 per hour or $8.50 per hour for non-residents

The fee, which some consider a “fee”, excludes a few free instances. However, a petition it was created in the local community, so far signed by 30 to 40 people. Some community members argue against the reservation system, claiming that the free courts are not marked for pickleball. This means players must bring their own equipment to prepare for proper play.

However, the idea of ”pay to play” is not unique Californiaand not necessarily unique to pickleball either. Older sports like tennis have had players pay to reserve courts in some states for years.

Park City, Utah charges tennis and pickleball players between $16 and $72 per hour, while Raleigh, North Carolina charges $5 per hour for tennis court time and $2 for pickleball court reservations.

But sports can differ in how they fund fields.

Pickleball on a tennis court

In some cities, tennis courts are maintained through tax dollars. Other sources and elsewhere, through local or national organizations such as the US Tennis Association (USTA).

image of a pickleball court with ball and paddles

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Because pickleball is a relatively recent phenomenon, most pickleball courts are paid for by:

Federal and state and local government grant programs
Some private organizations
Fundraising
… and even help for the coronavirus.

United States Pickleball Association (USAP) is about 40 years old (compared to the USTA’s 143 years) and does not provide funding for the courts, unlike the USTA.

So perhaps the real question is: are pay-to-play spaces fair?

For areas where taxpayers already “pay” for pickleball infrastructure through taxes, should they pay again to use the same spaces?

As the Santa Cruz Community Petition claims, double taxation causes those who live in the area “to pay tens of dollars for the right to exercise in our public park.”

The petition, which points out that free fields are not just marked for pickleball, also notes that wealthier citizens can afford to pay park fees while other members of the community may not.

“Pickleball Taxes”: What You Can Do

If you’re worried about a “pickleball tax” coming to your community, there are a few things you can do.

For starters, you can pay for apps like Swimply to rent a private pickleball court by the hour. After all, if your city is already charging you for a public space, why not rent a private (and perhaps better maintained) court?

Alternatively, you could consider investing in a pickleball net and court outlines. This will allow you to practice anywhere (as long as you comply with local noise law and ordinances). Additionally, court outlines are helpful if your community does not have pickleball facilities. A portable pickleball net with court lines usually costs between $120 and $160 Amazon.

While a portable net might not help you pay a potential court fee in a public park, it can help you play in the driveway or other designated area.

But remember that your tax dollars could still be spent on local pickleball field infrastructure. Pay attention to local laws, especially at the polls. Items like pickleball courts and additional funding for public parks can sometimes come up for a vote.

That way, you can worry about how your tax dollars are generally being spent in your community, whether it’s the fastest growing sport in the US or not.

VaselineSeptember 27, 2024

0 4 minutes read

Vaseline

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