Letter: Why Our Pools Should be Free

Dear Editor,

One day last summer, residents across Jersey City woke up to find that our city’s free public pools were no longer free. We know that public resources – including free pools – are a life source for families all across our city. They help build community. They keep our city’s young people safe and out of trouble. They give people who can’t afford air conditioning access to water at the height of summer. So to see people turned away from our pools because they didn’t have the money broke our hearts, but it also made us furious. Simply put: by introducing pool fees, the city has turned these vital amenities into luxuries that many residents can no longer afford.

We are introducing an ordinance to repeal the pool fees it instituted last year. While the idea behind the fees may have been well-intended, to cover maintenance costs and generate additional revenue for the city, the policy’s consequences have disproportionately burdened working families and undermined a vital public resource. In a $700M budget, we surely have the funds to cover the tens of thousands the city generated in pool fees last year. 

Implementing the pool fees in 2024 was particularly unconscionable. Families in Jersey City are grappling with a 40% increase in property taxes, historically high rents, and once-in-a-generation inflation. Families could end up spending hundreds of dollars over the course of a summer just to access a pool that previously had been free for generations. 

The fees have also exacerbated inequities in access to public spaces. Wealthier residents can afford to pay for private pools or travel to beaches, while lower-income families are left with few options. Public pools were meant to be equalizers, offering everyone—regardless of income—a chance to enjoy the benefits of water recreation and learn to swim. By placing a price tag on access, the city has undermined this core principle of equity.

Community pushback against the fees has been strong, as evidenced by over a thousand residents who signed a petition calling for their elimination. Repealing the pool fees would send a powerful message that Jersey City values inclusivity, community health, and equity. It would restore public pools to their rightful role as accessible gathering places for all residents, regardless of income. The city council should act swiftly to reverse this misguided policy and reaffirm its commitment to serving the public good.

Jersey City Councilman Frank Gilmore & Councilman James Solomon