Anyone hoping to rent a historic North Baldwin County church or park pavilion for a wedding or gathering will now pay a fee, after county commissioners voted Tuesday to approve new rental charges at two popular sites.
In a 3-1 vote, the Baldwin County Commission approved a $300 usage fee plus a $200 refundable security deposit to reserve the historic Montpelier Methodist Church inside Bicentennial Park. The deposit is returned to renters once the county inspects the facility following an event. Commissioners also approved a separate $75 rental fee for pavilions at both Bicentennial Park and Live Oak Landing.
County officials said the fees were designed to offset costs that had previously fallen entirely on taxpayers. An analysis from the county’s Archives Director found that electricity alone costs roughly $2,445 per year to keep the historic church running for occasional private events. Commissioner Chris Elliott framed the change as a matter of fairness across the county’s diverse communities. “The people in Fairhope and Gulf Shores shouldn’t be subsidizing a private wedding in North Baldwin,” he said.
Not every commissioner agreed with the approach. Commissioner Frank Burt cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing the fees weren’t necessary given how infrequently the facilities are booked. He noted the church was reserved only five times during the current fiscal year and questioned why the county needed to impose new charges for such limited use. “Wherever you turn, government is asking people for more and more money whether it’s in the form of taxes or fees,” Burt said.
County staff pushed back on the idea that usage was too rare to matter. Officials said the county has repeatedly paid attendants overtime to clean up after weddings at Bicentennial Park, and noted instances where people broke into the park and left messes for county employees to address. Archives Director Felisha Anderson said the fee wasn’t intended to generate significant revenue, but simply to cover the county’s actual costs.
Commissioners noted the new fees remain well below rental costs at comparable civic facilities elsewhere in the county, including the Bay Minette Civic Center, the Daphne Civic Center and the Erie Meyer Civic Center in Gulf Shores, all of which charge considerably more for private use. Officials emphasized that the public parks themselves remain free to use without a reservation, and the new fees apply only to those who want a guaranteed, exclusive booking.