It appears a majority of councilors in Cape Elizabeth will support a proposal to start charging fees at one of the most beautiful attractions in Maine.

Four out of seven councilors have voiced their support for the so-called pay-and-display system, which would install parking meters in parking areas at Fort Williams, charging visitors an hourly rate.

Some councilors say the Fort is an opportunity to decrease the tax burden on residents, while one councilor says Cape is an affluent community that can afford to pay for upkeep at the park. She says Cape could be perceived as stingy and elitist should they start charging.

Council Chairman David Backer and newest councilor Cynthia Dill, along with long-time proponents of fees Anne Swift-Kayatta and Mary Ann Lynch, say it’s time to start charging out-of-towners who compose the majority of traffic in the park, while councilor Carol Fritz opposes any fees.

“It’s not a monetary thing. It’s a principle. We have a beautiful place here. We don’t have to get every penny out of it. We are a community that can afford to provide this. Why are we being such penny pinchers?” said Fritz.

Two councilors, Mike Mowles and Paul McKenney could not be reached for comment.

In April, the council asked a working group to develop a plan for implementing a fee system at Fort Williams. The group worked out the rudimentary details for charging fees on a pay and display system, and the Town Council met with the working group last Thursday to discuss the details of the plan.

With the details in hand, Dill said she is a proponent of the fee system, which includes charging non-Cape residents $5 for day visits and $25 for season passes.

However, Dill said she would prefer to charge an hourly fee less than the current proposed $5 per day.

“There are some families who live on limited means; $25 might put them over the edge. My personal feeling is that we should explore charging less for an hour, a dollar is really reasonable.”

Dill said she supports charging fees at the park because the tax burden on Cape residents is high. “Most people understand there is a cost to maintain such a nice place,” she said.

It has been estimated that each household contributes about $50 a year towards park maintenance through their taxes.

Chairman David Backer, also a proponent of fees, said the pay-and-display system allows the greatest flexibility for visitors. Walkers, bikers and those just driving through would not have to pay.

“If there is going to be a fee, this seems to be the least intrusive and easiest to implement as opposed to something like a manned gate,” he said.

Backer, Swift-Kayatta and Lynch all agree that tax revenue alone cannot sustain the park for much longer without it falling into further disrepair.

Annual operating costs at the fort stand at about $125,000, and there are large projects, including the reinforcement of the crumbling Goddard mansion, that lack money to support them.

“I’m afraid if there isn’t a source of revenue beyond tax dollars, the ability to maintain the Fort will be in jeopardy,” said Backer.

Fritz said there are other ways to provide support for the Fort. Over the years, the town has received several grants from the National Parks Service, which have helped build roads and playgrounds and reinforce structures at the Fort.

Fritz would rather depend on the Fort Williams Foundation, a group created specifically to raise money for Fort Williams projects.

But Lynch and Swift-Kayatta say it is reasonable to ask visitors to contribute to the cost of the parks maintenance when Cape has such a small commercial tax base. “It makes sense. We’re a service community and our service is recreation,” said Lynch.

Swift-Kayatta estimates that about 80 to 85 percent of Fort users are from outside Cape Elizabeth. Swift-Kayatta’s comments echoed Lynch’s. “I don’t think it’s unfair to ask for a small contribution from the people who actually use it,” she said.

But Fritz says Fort Williams, as a recreational gathering place, is Cape’s contribution to the community. There are already two state parks in Cape that people have to pay to visit. “I’d hate to see another area be restricted,” she said.

Fritz pointed out that though there may be other towns, including Scarborough, charging for access to their beaches, she doesn’t want Cape to become one of those towns. Charging a fee deters people from visiting, she said.

In Fritz’s nine years on the council, charging fees at the Fort has come up before – at least two other times, she said. Both times, the Council asked the Fort Williams Advisory Commission to recommend whether or not fees were a viable option. Both times the commission recommended against charging fees.

The council’s last request yielded not a recommendation from the commission but a list of fee options. The council then chose the fee option they liked best and asked a new group to work out the technical aspects of implementing the plan.

Backer said the prior opposition reflected the will of Cape residents. Today, however, the will of the people is changing, he said. Cape residents are more concerned about their rising property taxes and are more willing to let out-of-towners pay for the maintenance and future restoration of the park.

If the pay-and-display system is approved, the money raised will first pay off the cost of the meters installed throughout the park, then cover maintenance costs, then go towards capital improvement projects, and possibly then towards school and municipal services. However, councilors predict that day is a long way off and it may never arrive.

“There’s an endless set of needs at the Fort,” said Swift-Kayatta.