PATTON — Concerned community leaders and business owners filled the Patton Borough council meeting Tuesday evening to contest an ordinance that would see some amusement device license fees increase by about 800%.

The ordinance, which took effect on Jan. 1, was enacted into law by the borough council on Dec. 13, 2024, according to online records.

The last time the annual license fees were updated was over 40 years ago in 1982, Borough Secretary Donna Dunegan said. Since then, the annual license fee for jukeboxes, pool tables and video, skill or mechanical amusement devices was $25.

The updated ordinance kept the jukebox and pool table fees at $25 but increased the

non-paying video, skill or mechanical amusement device fee to $100 and any legal gambling or skill game device to $200.

Assistant Borough Secretary and Director of Park and Recreations Charlene Shilling told the public that the fees would go to the borough’s parks and recreation, while the parks and recreation’s millage would go back into the borough’s general fund. When asked if that general fund money could be allocated for parks and recreation, Shilling said yes.

Resident Fred Smith said the borough is thinking of these fees as a “new source of free money that’s available.”

“You are taking from the clubs and small businesses — they only get 40% of that money,” Smith said. “That, to me, is an abuse of authority from the governing body to increase it that high.”

Council Vice President Ray Keith asked the attending club owners if any of them could say about how much they make a month on skills, to which they said it varies.

Darrell Williams, owner of Patton’s Thirsty Dawg Taverne, said someone took $5,000 out of their machine and they “didn’t make anything” for about eight months.

“Then we finally got caught up and we were even for a while,” Williams said. “Then we made $200.”

Williams said the point wasn’t how much they make on skills, but why the owners should absorb those costs when parks and recreation “have other methods to get fundraisers.”

“I can absorb it, but some of these clubs depend on that revenue,” Williams said.

Shilling said parks and recreation was limited in terms of fundraising as it was a part of the government and couldn’t obtain 501(c)(3) status.

Council President Mike Pompa said that while parks and recreation was able to “succeed” with its allocated $8,000, “it was tough.”

Shilling said parks and recreation “had nothing to do with” the increase. She also shared that it had ended the last three years in the negative. At the end of 2022, it had minus-$8,000; 2023, minus-$6,000; and 2024, minus-$600.

Shilling then asked if there could be a happy medium, as parks and recreation was reaching a point of no loss.

“So, the county taking the $200, and it was $25 prior to that,” Shilling said. “Could we meet in the middle at $100?”

Shilling said the cost of everything is “going up” and “it’s horrible,” but the borough “will work with anybody for any of it.”

“We’re not saying you have to come in and pay this by Jan. 30,” Shilling said. “We understand that some clubs may be having more problems than others. That is the same thing across the board everywhere.”

Those assembled eventually agreed to amend the ordinance to reflect the compromise of $100.

The updated ordinance will bring Patton’s licensing fees in line with other area municipalities.

Allegheny Township Secretary Silke Morrison said they charge a flat business license fee of $50.

Online records show Altoona’s fee resolution, which was adopted on Dec. 2, 2024, and effective Jan. 1, sets mechanical, electronic or video amusement device fees at $100 per machine and jukeboxes at $50 per machine.

For the 2025 calendar year, Hollidaysburg Borough is charging $200 for a pool room license, $200 theaters license, $75 per jukebox machine, $50 per pool table, $100 per non-paying video, skill or mechanical amusement device and $150 per paying gambling and skill device. In Portage, fees cost $150 for the first machine and $60 for each additional machine.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.