Seniors will soon have to pay for events at Sacramento community centers. Here’s how much
The city of Sacramento will soon start charging seniors for community center special events that were previously free.
The new fees for senior special events, which will go into effect Sept. 1, were part of a strategy to fill a $66 million deficit in the budget the City Council adopted earlier this month.
But seniors can apply for $100 “fun passes” to help offset the cost.
The Hart Fun Pass, a scholarship program funded by the E.M. Hart Trust Fund, grants low-income residents aged 50 and older a $100 credit toward classes and programs, which may include art, writing, sports, fitness, computer instruction, day trips, and camping.
Some of the most popular activities paid for by the fun pass included fitness classes, community center activities, wateraerobics and recreational swim at city pools, the city’s Trips and Tours program, and summer camps.
The program is funded to offer 900 passes from 2021 to June 2026, but according to a project report, only 226 passes had been completely used as of this past June.
Virginia Barajas who attends Manitos, a community group for seniors who speak Spanish at the Hart Senior Center, said she had never heard about the Hart Fun Pass before.
Three to four citywide senior special events are held each year, according to Jennifer Singer, a spokeswoman for the Office of the City Manager.
Events often include activities, a meal, and prizes. The next upcoming event, which will have a luau pool party theme and include water activities, is scheduled for August 15 at the Sam and Bonnie Pannell Community Center in Meadowview. The event will be the last one that is free to attend.
Moving forward, other special events, which this year are slated for December and spring 2025, will cost $5 per person to attend.
Other fee increases by the city’s Department of Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment include those for community center programs for youth, sports field use and aquatics programs.
