Galveston board scraps $2 boat toll

The Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees voted unanimously to end per-passenger fees for party boats at Pier 19 this week. The decision removes a charge that operators argued unfairly targeted their businesses while nearby recreational vessels avoided the cost.

The port began collecting the fee in 2021. It charged operators $2 per passenger for round trips on vessels carrying between 10 and 125 people. During Tuesday’s meeting, Capt. Scott Hickman, a recent addition to the board, supported the move to boost recreational access. He described the area as one of the few remaining spots on that side of the island for such activities.

Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees explained the fee was designed to offset maintenance costs at Pier 19. The pier hosts party boats and the historic Mosquito Fleet of shrimp boats. Rees noted the port spent over $1 million on maintenance in the past five years. During that same period, the port collected $132,030 in passenger service charges. He clarified that the charge did not apply to small passenger boats like tour boats at Pier 21 because those tenants maintain their own facilities under lease agreements.

The fee impacted operators differently based on vessel size and season. At the peak of summer, some party boats paid up to $400 per trip to the port. Jill Williams, whose family owns Williams Party Boats, stated that smaller boats present when the tariff launched did not pay the fee. One moved locations and another closed its doors. She said only her business and Galveston Party Boats have consistently paid the charge since 2021.

Business owners adjusted their pricing in response to the new cost. Ed Schroeder, owner of Galveston Party Boats, raised his prices by $2 per trip to cover the fee. Williams also increased the price of her four-hour charter by $2. She absorbed the added cost for 12-hour and 36-hour trips, noting passengers already paid $145 per person for those bookings.

Operators view the fee’s removal as a positive step, though they note other rising costs persist. Schroeder said fuel prices have increased by more than the $2 savings per trip. He described the elimination of the tariff as a help that removes a confusing financial burden. The board’s action ends the collection of these charges effective immediately following the vote.

The port did not provide figures on the total revenue lost by ending the fee. The Galveston County Daily News reported that information on potential financial loss was not available at the meeting. The change allows party boat operators to stop passing the $2 per-passenger cost to customers or absorbing it in their operating budgets.