City councillor Doug Graham's desire to see the Yukon government share the cost of booking school gymnasiums after-hours is tied directly to his concern over rising costs to operate the new multiplex.

Graham explained in an interview Tuesday the city strives to recover 40 per cent of its costs from arena and pool users. But for years now, groups using school facilities after-hours to play basketball, soccer and other sports have not paid a dime.

The city's Parks and Recreation Department, however, shells out tens of thousands of dollars every year to co-ordinate and administer the nighttime use of school facilities, he pointed out.

Under the renewed joint-use agreement between the city and the government, the latter has agreed to put 40 per cent, or $25,000, toward the estimated $62,975 in staff time the city dedicates annually to co-ordinate after-school use of the gymnasiums.

The agreement, which also provides local schools with reduced fees for using the pool and free ice time when available, goes before city council for formal approval.

Graham said it's been his position for years that the city should recover from the government a portion of the cost of co-ordinating gymnasium use, in the same way it recovers 40 per cent of operating costs from arena and pool users. It would also help deliver the message to other user groups that there is a cost attached to using the gymnasiums, he explained.

As it is, indoor soccer, volleyball or basketball leagues do not pay for the space.

Graham believes the adult indoor soccer leagues will be drawn to the multiplex by the full-size indoor fields, and won't mind the new hourly fee. He doubts whether the minor leagues will show the same enthusiasm.

And that, Graham insisted, could become a problem.

Already, the estimated cost of running the multiplex has ballooned to $2.3 million, or $700,000 above the original estimate provided to city council, he pointed out.

Council's decision last year to implement a two-per-cent hike in property taxes for three consecutive years will help cover the shortfall.

'The biggest problem is going to be: how do you convince users to come out of the schools and use the multiplex?' the councillor said.

'Minor soccer is not going to come out of there, and if they don't come and rent some time at that multiplex, we are in deep trouble.'

Graham said the operating cost for the $42-million facility has always been a concern of his.

While the savings from shutting down the old Whitehorse Lions Pool and Stan McCowan Arena go to O & M for at the multiplex, there is still an O & M deficit of somewhere between $600,000 and $800,000, Graham pointed out.

Linda Rapp, manager of the city's Parks and Recreation Department, said Wednesday the city has not been requested by the Yukon government to recover any of its $25,000-contribution from users of the school gyms.

Clea Ainsworth, the spokeswoman for the Department of Education, said today the Yukon government will not be increasing any fees to cover the $25,000 increase in administrative costs. Ainsworth noted the agreement is still under discussion and has not been formally approved.

Graham also noted a discrepancy in city policy and how it's applied.

Under new direction, organizations that book a school facility but don't use it can be penalized, as the space is highly sought-after.

The councillor noted that groups using school facilities are not penalized for cancelling a regularly-scheduled league game if there is good reason, like -40 C weather.

On the other hand, arena users who don't show up for their hour of ice because of frigid costs still pay the hour's rent.