Price increase at Grace Martin Harwell Senior Center sparks public push back

WASHINGTON, N.C. (WNCT) — People in the city of Washington heard some concerns Monday night from senior citizens in the community. It was a packed house at the city council meeting.

Many people spoke during the public comment meeting about some proposed changes at the Grace Martin Harwell Senior Center.

The seniors of Beaufort County are upset about a $175 annual price increase and fees to use the senior center run by the city. As city leaders heard the comments, they also explained it’s due to a large use from members living in the county.

“We have to pay $2 to play bingo, we’ve already paid $175, now we’re paying $2 a week to play bingo,” Kay Summerfield said. “Being a senior citizen on a fixed income, we cannot afford this.”

“Annual operating expense through the city is roughly $300,000. We have 2,200 members that are signed up to use the facility. Of those 2,200, 1,600 live in the county, so there’s more county users than city,” Washington City Manager Jonathan Russell said. “The county provides $20,000 of our $300,000 operating expense, so it’s less than 10 percent, so again, we have to meet that $300,000 threshold as a city.”

The new fees for the Grace Martin Harwell Senior Center started on July 1 for non-city residents only. The fees are $175 per year, or $20 per month, and activity fees for certain uses of facilities.

For more information on the event tonight, click the video above.

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