Lower fees, get more funds

Columbia County officials recently made a proposal designed to draw more visitors to the constantly improving Wildwood Park.

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For all practical purposes, the change could be called "less is more." And it sure looks like a smart move.

What's at issue is the price of an annual pass for Wildwood. The passes allow recipients to make unlimited visits to the Appling park without having to pay the $5 parking entry fee each time.

The county currently charges $75 for the pass, and sells only about 120 of them each year.

It's hard to miss the contrast: Right around the corner, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sells its annual pass, for such facilities as Lake Springs Recreation Area, for just $30 per year.

As a result, even though Lake Springs has far fewer amenities than Wildwood Park, the Corps sells about 2,000 of its passes each year.

That's easy math, and a pretty strong message. The county got it loud and clear.

County commissioners recently received the proposed fee changes from Community and Leisure Services Director Barry Smith, who says he hopes that lowering the county's fee to match that from the Corps will result in greater sales of Wildwood passes. By selling greater numbers of the lower-priced passes, officials hope to raise more money.

Commissioners are expected to approve the changes next week.

Now, if only the federal government could get the message that lower fees, or lower taxes, can actually raise more money. Less really can be more.