A proposed increase in annual pickeball membership fees in Fiscal Year 2025 took center stage at an Ocean Pines Association town hall budget meeting last week.
Ocean Pines resident Roelof “Dutch” Oostveen speaks to members of the Ocean Pines Association during a public budget meeting last Tuesday. Community members were encouraged to share their concerns, many of which involved increases in pickleball membership dues.
Tara Fischer/Bayside Gazette
Community members say increase unfair
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
A proposed increase in annual pickeball membership fees in Fiscal Year 2025 took center stage at an Ocean Pines Association town hall budget meeting last week.
OPA General Manager John Viola explained that before the end of the next fiscal year, the associate individual fee for the growing racket sport, pending board approval, will increase 12% from $250 to $280, and the assistant family rate is proposed to rise 11% to $455 from $410. The regular family package will increase 10% to $325 from $295, and the individual plan is growing 11% from $180 to $200. There is currently no recommended price change for tennis and paddle tennis memberships, which still sit at $100 higher than pickleball.
The 10-12% increase is due to the costs associated with upkeep.
“There is a misnomer that pickleball courts do not require maintenance like tennis does,” Viola said. “That might have been true 10 years ago, but it’s not the case today.”
To preserve the pickleball courts, they were recently resurfaced, and Viola expects cracks to be filled in every year. Annual assessments will help determine the level of care they need. Alternatively, Viola said, an “expert and evaluator” told OPA that the paddle tennis court cracks did not require repair.
Still, community members spoke out against the proposed fee increase for pickleball because of the lack of revenue other racquet sports bring in.
“Tennis and platform tennis lose money and get no increase in fees,” Ocean Pines resident Darryl Noble said. “Why does the only sport that shows a profit get nailed with an increase?”
Estimates show that pickleball is likely to pull in a profit of about $27,000 this year. After depreciation, tennis is projected to lose $82,000, and paddle tennis is estimated to lose $11,000. Added together, OPA anticipates a loss of $65,000 from racquet sports, the general manager explained.
“When we do the pricing, I’m not necessarily looking to raise more revenue,” Viola said. “I want to do it organically. I want the customer experience. We want to have the best possible and realistic facilities, and maintenance is included in that.”
Other budget items were also discussed at the meeting.
Viola said the proposed budget allocates more spending for drainage as opposed to five or six years ago at roughly $200,000. The focus will be on the main pipes that have not been touched or serviced.
The tiki bar will be expanded and serve increased capacities at the yacht club and pool. Officials expect the work to be done by Memorial Day, and officials maintain that the timeline is on track. Viola also accounted for the planned gazebo at the Veterans Memorial Park pavilion in the budget.
The next OPA regular board meeting open to the public is scheduled for 9 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 17, at the clubhouse meeting room at 100 Clubhouse Drive.