Austin City Council Wants You to Pay Them to Get Fit

The Austin City Council, doing what they do best — money grabs — wants to charge a “fitness” user fee for our city’s numerous public parks:

Austin’s Parks Department is proposing to charge a $500 annual fee to fitness businesses that hold classes in city parks or on hike-and-bike trails.

I’ve seen these classes at a lot of parks throughout the city.

But some fitness instructors say the fee conflicts with the city’s stated goal of encouraging health and wellness. They also argue that public parks should be available for anyone’s use.

“Where did the taxes go that I am already paying for parkland? They should go towards using parks however I’d like, whether it’s for flying kites or walking dogs or doing push-ups,” said Michelle Persica, a personal trainer with 20 years of experience who sometimes holds classes in Pease Park.

The parks our ours to use. They are ours to exercise, relax, and play in. They are the perfect setting for fitness classes — the city trying to charge small business owners for holding their small classes in our parks? Rediculous.