USA: Kentucky forum examines marina owner fees
A congressional forum was held in March in Jamestown, Kentucky to examine inconsistent fees levied by the US Army Corps of Engineers against marina owners.
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability chairman James Comer emphasised information obtained by the Oversight Committee, along with a study conducted by the Government Accountability Office, shows the Army Corps has been levying inconsistent, unexpected and exorbitant fees against small business owners.
He noted that unclear fees pushed by the Corps can cripple small businesses, particularly local marina operators in Kentucky, and further hurt investment in recreational infrastructure locally and nationwide.
Chairman Cromer highlighted the Marina Act legislation he introduced to address the lack of transparency and unclear fees and concluded that Congress must continue to explore solutions to ensure the Corps is issuing all fees consistently and fairly.
The Corps imposes fees on those who utilise its managed real estate, including privately operated marinas on lakes such as Lake Cumberland, one of the state’s major tourism spots that attracts around 2.5 million visitors per year.
