County changing entry fee plan for Ascarate Park

The county is again changing what it charges to enter Ascarate Park. Starting in about a week, the county will be selling new parking passes good for six months or even a full year at a time.

The six month pass will cost $20, or $10 for seniors, and the year-long pass will cost $30, or $15 for seniors.

The county is in the process of getting the new passes in stock, and will be selling them at locations in Ascarate Park once they have them.

But the passes will not cover special events. Special event parking fees will go into effect two hours before any special event like the Sun City Music Festival, 5K obstacle runs or fishing competitions. The pricing still has to be determined for special events, but Commissioner Andrew Haggerty, the only one to vote against it, said the overall plan doesn’t make sense.

“If you take out special events, parking doesn’t pay for the people who take the parking,” Haggerty said. “So the parking fee doesn’t cover the cost of the parking. I think we need to do a better study of deciding if we actually need to pay for parking.”

County Judge Veronica Escobar said she voted for the new plan in the expectation that cheaper entry will get more people to use the park, and pay for the services inside, like the golf course and pool.