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BROWNSVILLE — Beach-goers can expect to pay more for access to Cameron County coastal parks beginning this fall as officials prepare to roll out fee increases they say are meant to keep up with the rising costs of maintenance.
During an early August meeting, commissioners approved increases to daily beach passes and all RV site rentals at Isla Blanca, Andy Bowie and EK Atwood coastal parks. The changes also include county Beach Accesses No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6.
One-day park access will increase from $12 to $15 at all locations, but monthly, annual and bus pass prices will remain the same. Discounted rates for veterans will not increase.
For RVs, the new fee schedule includes a 30% increase in site rates starting Oct. 1, plus additional fees for electrical and internet connectivity. RV sites at Adolphe Tomae Jr. County Park are not included in the rate increase.
Commissioners tabled the vote on a resolution adopting the new fee schedule on Tuesday, but the resolution is expected to appear on next week’s commissioners court meeting agenda.
Parks Director Joe Vega said the increased revenue generated by the new fees will go back into the coastal parks. The additional beach funds will help maintain restrooms, showers, board walks, dune walk-overs, litter collection and other amenities. Beach user fees also pay for services like park rangers, life guards and maintenance trucks that comb the beach.
“Being here on the coast, facilities require a lot more maintenance because the environment is very hard on those facilities,” Vega said.
The beach-side parks attract thousands of visitors each year, including those who visit from around the country and globe to watch SpaceX rocket launches. The county invested $12 million in infrastructure renovations for RV sites at Isla Blanca Park, which Vega called the “crown jewel” of the coastal parks.
Vega told The Brownsville Herald that the county’s coastal parks run on a $2 million deficit, which is covered by the parks department’s general fund. Between millions in renovations and increasing costs of everything from cleaning supplies to maintenance equipment, he added, the new fees are meant to cover that funding gap.
The fee increases would take winter RV rates for standard inside-gate sites to $81 daily, the weekly rate to $257 and the monthly rate to $886. Those rates would rise to $84 daily, $267 weekly and $921 monthly in the fall of 2027 as part of an additional 4% rate increase.
RV rate increases are forecast to boost revenue by more than $1.5 million after the first year, according to estimates by county staff. A staff review of comparable Texas coastal RV park fees found that Cameron County consistently charges lower rates.
The RV rates haven’t increased since 2018, a county official told commissioners during an Aug. 4 meeting, and the new fees will allow the parks to break even as operating costs rise.