Editor's note: In a previous article titled "Meeting discusses Rec Center budget," it was incorrectly stated that fee increases for the Wade King Recreation Center were being implemented this year. Student fees have already been raised from $95 to $99. Wade King Recreation Staff met at an open meeting with students and talked about the future budget of the center on Wednesday, May 13. Western students saw their recreation center fee raised from $95 to $99 last year, which was the first time the rec center fee had been raised in seven years. However, students shouldn’t expect to see another fee increase in the coming year. Rec center associate director Adam Leonard said the increase in revenue from the additional $4 fee increase gave the rec center enough money to replace exercise machines without having to use reserve money. In the 2013 to 2014 fiscal year the rec center spent a little more than $4.3 million on operational costs and expects to spend a little more than $4.45 million this year. Last year, about $ 3.8 million of that came from recreation center fees paid by students, and $500,000 came from other forms of revenue like sales and rentals. “I think the rec center is one of the most supported fee[s] on campus. Of the roughly 13,500 full-time payments of the rec center, 91 to 93 percent visit the rec center at least once,” Leonard said. Students who are registered for more than six credits at Western pay the rec center fee.
