The Genoveva Chavez Community Center recently began charging spectators at all sporting events $2.

Beginning in 2004, spectators at basketball games and swim meets at the city-owned recreation center have been charged $1. Last year, the fee for swim meets went up to $2.

In September, the spectator fee went to $2 across the board, including hockey games, which previously were free.

Some hockey parents say that's not fair.

"To pay $2 for a spectator fee when we're already renting the ice (rink) just seems ridiculous," said Peter Olson, head coach and board member of the Santa Fe Youth Hockey Association.

Olson says the association pays $185 an hour for the rink, with practices and games adding up to $50,000 or about $600 per child per year.

"I would think that if you're renting the facility, you could invite whoever you wanted to come," he said.

Joe Baros, chairman of the Chavez Center advisory board, which recommended the change, said hockey spectators hadn't previously been charged because they had lobbied against it.

"They were a real strong, avid group and they always fought for their cause," he said. "But after a while, you have to start weighing causes against costs of operating, and sooner or later, you've got to adjust."

Robert Romero, director of the city Public Works Department, which recently took over the Recreation Division from the Community Services Department, said the city's four recreation centers — the Chavez Center, Fort Marcy Recreation Complex, Salvador-Perez and the Bicentennial Pool — cost about $7 million a year to run and take in about $2 million annually. The Chavez Center, he said, represents the lion's share of both operating costs and revenues — $5 million for operations and $1.8 million in revenues.

Romero said no spectator fees have been implemented at the other centers, but he acknowledged he is looking into other ways to raise revenues as the city faces a budget crunch. "We're working on something to present to the council at the appropriate time, but right now, we're just working on ideas and I don't think it would be appropriate to discuss that," he said.

Tom Trujillo, who recently was named director of the Recreation Division, said the Chavez Center has been inconsistent on spectator fees. Trujillo said the $2 spectator fee now applies to all sporting events — even the Special Olympics basketball tournament this month.

Rachel Wexler, marketing director for the south-side recreation center, said the new policy means "the custodial parent or whoever's escorting the kid doesn't get charged to come in, but any other family members do." Players and coaches also get in without additional charges, as do people with yearly or monthly passes.

"The sense that I've gotten is that most people were very understanding about it," Wexler said. "The truth is that these events increase the load on our facility, which requires additional custodians, additional cleaning supplies. ... It costs us money to have these events in-house, so we have to figure out a way to try and cover some of that."

Regular admission to the 170,000-square-foot center at 3221 Rodeo Road is $5 for people 18 to 60, $3 for those over 60, $2.75 for those 11 to 17 and $1.75 under 10 years. Senior citizens are admitted for $1 on Wednesdays.

Contact Tom Sharpe at 986-3080 or tsharpe@sfnewmexican.com.