Selma city leaders are saying it’s time for the city to re-evaluate the fees for using the newly remodeled Memorial Stadium and Bloch Park.

According to Parks and Recreation director Elton Reece, the cost of use for the stadium is $250 dollars per use, but in order to get the facility ready for an event, the cost can vary anywhere between $1,000-1,500.

“When you account for the time and money it takes to clean the bathrooms and stadium, stock the concession stands, paint the field, put the tarp and bleachers out, it adds up quickly,” Reece said. “That’s all before you even turn on the lights. We don’t get any of the money from the gate receipts, concessions and now parking.”

Reece said the goal of the re-evaluation was so the city could possibly set standards and prices for the different types of events held at the stadium.

“Right now it costs the same for a junior high school (football) game as it does a college game,” Reece said. “We are just trying to find the correct price. We have asked around to other cities about how much they charge to begin to get a better idea.”

Selma Mayor George Evans emphasized that right now, the only thing the city is doing is trying to find a price that would help absorb some of the costs of getting the stadium ready.

Currently, the money that funds the stadium is allotted in the city’s general fund in the parks and recreation budget.

“The city is not trying to make money on this, but not losing money is the goal,” Evans said. “With things like parades in the past, where we had to pay to shut down streets and give overtime to officers, we began to charge for the price of covering the costs.”

The issue was brought up even before the stadium renovations began, according to Evans, and will continue to be reviewed by the Selma City Council’s parks and recreation committee.