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A proposal by the City of Toronto could increase fees for several city services and programs, including swimming lessons.

In efforts to balance its 2010 operating budget, the City of Toronto has put forth an increase in fees for several city services and programs, including swimming.

In April, city council will consider a proposal to pass bylaws to amend Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, to adopt recommended changes to existing user fees. The 60-page document, titled 2010 Recommended Operating Budget and released in February, lists all new and increased fees the city is looking to adopt.

In the proposal, various swimming programs will see anywhere from a three per cent (Swim Drop-In Adult) to 13 per cent increase (Swim Masters). According to a report in InsideToronto.com, the increases are expected to raise a total of $13 million.

Shelley Carroll, budget chief, acknowledged in the report that the free swim would effectively come to an end.

"While we've had free swim for a long time, our costs are going up," Carroll says. "We pay for pools in the school system—we pay for them 24 hours a day and seven days a week, whether we're using them for free swims or not."