Galveston Wharves board scraps $2 party boat fee

The Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees voted unanimously this week to eliminate a $2 per passenger fee for party boats operating at Pier 19. The decision removes a charge that has been in effect since 2021 and was designed to offset maintenance costs for the facility.

Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees stated that the port has spent over $1 million on maintenance at Pier 19 during the past five years. During that same period, the port collected $132,030 in passenger service charges. Rees explained that the fee was not applied to tour boats at nearby Pier 21 because those tenants are required by their leases to maintain their own facilities and marine infrastructure.

Capt. Scott Hickman, a new board trustee, supported the move during Tuesday's meeting. He said he wants to increase access to recreational activities on the east side of the island. Hickman described the location as one of the few remaining places where residents can engage in these activities and expressed a desire to make the operation more successful.

Operators of vessels carrying between 10 and 125 passengers were previously required to pay the fee for each round trip. At the height of the summer season, this cost could reach $400 per trip for some boats. According to the Galveston County Daily News, information regarding the potential financial loss for the port was not available at the meeting.

Jill Williams, whose family owns Williams Party Boats, said the tariff had a noticeable impact on the local industry. She noted that smaller party boats that operated there when the fee was introduced did not pay it. One of those boats moved locations, and another went out of business. Williams said that for a long time, her company and Galveston Party Boats were the only ones paying the charge.

Williams said her business raised the price of its four-hour charter by $2 to cover the cost. However, the company absorbed the fee on 12-hour and 36-hour trips, keeping the price at $145 per person. She argued that customers were already paying high rates for those longer charters.

Ed Schroeder, owner of Galveston Party Boats, said his business raised prices by $2 per trip after the tariff took effect. He expressed relief that the board lifted the fee but questioned whether a $2 reduction would significantly affect consumer behavior for fishing trips. Schroeder noted that fuel prices have increased by more than $2, meaning the removal of the tariff helps with other rising costs.

Schroeder said he never understood the original purpose of the tariff. He added that while the fee removal is a help, it does little to address the other financial pressures currently facing party boat operators.

The board's decision ends a policy that operators felt singled out their businesses compared to other recreational vessels in the area. The port will no longer collect the $2 per passenger charge for the specified vessel size at Pier 19.