October 1, 2010 – Hilo, Hawaii

Video by David Corrigan | Voice of Tim Bryan

The charge to keep a horse at the Panaewa Equestrian Center in Hilo may triple, and residents who keep their equine at the facility are not happy with the proposal.

Over a dozen residents testified against a plan to increase stall fees at the county run facility on the southern edge of Hilo.

The Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation wants to raise the fee to $500 per year, up from $150 per year.

Although the private-sector stall rates range from $3,000 to $4,000, residents said the $500 charge is too high at the county run facility. Thursday’s public hearing gave Parks and Rec Director Bob Fitzgerald a chance to hear locals’ concerns first hand.

The County currently spends nearly $88,646 per year to operate the center. That works out to an annual cost of $1,477 per stall, and does not include costs associated with any large-scale maintenance projects such as re-roofing or other repairs.

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