Orchard Mesa Pool moves closer to November ballot

Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

Grand Junction voters could decide in November whether to approve a small sales-tax increase to renovate and continue operating the 43-year-old Orchard Mesa Pool after City Council members expressed broad support on Aug. 3 for placing the question on the ballot.

According to City Manager Mike Bennett, the city does not currently have the revenue to absorb another long-term operating subsidy while also subsidizing the new Community Recreation Center, meeting debt obligations from previous projects and covering rising operational costs across city government.

When Grand Junction voters approved the Community Recreation Center in 2019, the city’s long-term financial plan assumed many Orchard Mesa Pool users would transition to the new facility after it opened and the Orchard Mesa Pool closed. 

As construction of the Community Recreation Center progressed, many residents said they did not realize the long-term financial plan anticipated the Orchard Mesa Pool would close. That concern led a group of Orchard Mesa and other local residents to form the Save Orchard Mesa Pool campaign, which has spent the past several years advocating for preserving the facility through public meetings, City Council workshops and community outreach.

The campaign’s efforts helped keep the issue before city leaders and ultimately contributed to the council’s decision to consider placing the question before voters. Bennett said the new recreation center is expected to be open toward the end of September this year.

Council members said they are willing to move the proposal toward the ballot after a statistically valid community survey found residents were divided on whether they would support a tax increase, but they strongly favored allowing voters to make the decision themselves. While 43 percent opposed increasing taxes and taking on debt to renovate the pool, 38 percent supported it and 19 percent were neutral. However, 66 percent said the city should place the question on the November ballot, while only 16 percent opposed allowing voters to decide.

Council member Cody Kennedy said the survey reflected what the council had discussed for months.

“I think we as a council had said that if there was community support on the survey, that we would put this on the ballot,” Kennedy said.

Structural deficit limits city’s options

Bennett said the Orchard Mesa Pool discussion should also keep in context the city’s broader financial picture and that a new tax would be required to fix the pool and pay for operations as the city is already short on operational dollars.

“We are working through a structural deficit,” Bennett said.

He said the city has reduced spending, found operational efficiencies and experienced revenue growth, but those improvements have not kept pace with rising operating costs or the increasing demand for city services.

While Bennett outlined the city’s current structural deficit, some of the underlying financial pressures developed before he became city manager in December 2024. Those include commitments made under previous city manager Greg Caton and prior city councils, along with the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bennett also cited inflation and rapidly increasing construction costs as contributing factors.

Among the existing financial obligations Bennett highlighted are approximately $1 million annually in debt payments associated with the Dos Rios development, where anticipated revenues have not yet materialized, and more than $2 million each year subsidizing fire and emergency services provided under contract to the Grand Junction Rural Fire Protection District. At the same time, the city is working to increase police and fire staffing, maintain roads and parks, and address other infrastructure needs.

Bennett said the city is facing a structural budget deficit, but it is not currently seeking a broader tax increase to address it, instead focusing first on restructuring, efficiencies and revenue growth. 

“I think we have to prove to the community that we’re doing everything we can,” he said. “First, we have to look at structural changes, things like how we work and partner with the rural fire district, how we adjust our economic development plans, and all those types of things, along with the efforts that we’re working on in economic development to increase sales-tax revenues. Likely, when we get to those places, when you boil it down, public safety in both police and fire, and transportation, tend to be the top priorities when it comes to those needs and the dollar amounts that we have.”

City of Grand Junction Chief Financial Officer Jay Valentine said the proposed sales-tax increase would be relatively small, but he cautioned that every increase carries potential consequences. He said higher local sales taxes can encourage some shoppers to make purchases outside the city, and he warned that asking voters to approve additional taxes for the Orchard Mesa Pool could also contribute to “voter fatigue,” making it more difficult to gain support for future ballot measures.

“I think as your sales-tax rate increases, there’s two things that possibly could happen,” Valentine said. “You could start to erode that tax base… Also, there’s just the voter fatigue with too many. If we do have a future vote for a tax increase, I think there’s the worry of voter fatigue on multiple issuances.”

What would voters be paying for?

The Orchard Mesa Pool is owned by Mesa County Valley School District 51, but it historically has been operated by the City of Grand Junction as part of a three-way partnership that also included Mesa County. Mesa County previously withdrew from that partnership, followed by District 51’s decision to leave the pool business.

A previous City Council negotiated a two-year extension allowing the city to continue operating the facility while the new rec center was being built and exploring whether it could be preserved. District 51 plans to demolish the pool after the current agreement expires at the end of 2026 unless another long-term solution is reached.

Parks and Recreation Director Ken Sherbenou emphasized the proposal is not intended to build a larger or more elaborate aquatic center. Instead, the project focuses on replacing aging mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, repairing deteriorating infrastructure and extending the life of the existing pool by an estimated 40 years. 

Sherbenou told the city council the proposal is about preserving the existing facility rather than adding new attractions.

“I think that’s probably the best language to use, that this is a fixing of the pool, and it’s not an upgrade. It’s not a revitalization. It’s a fixing of the pool, getting it up to standards, so that it can have another 40 years of life,” he said.

Sherbenou acknowledged the systems would be upgraded and state-of-the-art, but not the services available other than getting the currently unusable hot tub back online.

Current estimates place construction costs at approximately $10 million. Including financing and other project costs, Valentine said the city would likely issue about $11.6 million in debt.

Valentine said a 15-year bond could be supported through a 0.07 percent city-sales-tax increase, or about 7 cents on a $100 taxable purchase. Council members discussed allowing a smaller portion of the tax to remain after the construction debt is retired to help support the pool’s ongoing operating costs.

Council members also discussed ways the Orchard Mesa Pool could complement, rather than compete with, the new Community Recreation Center. Ideas included keeping the pool as a more affordable neighborhood swimming option while allowing the recreation center to serve as the city’s full-service recreation facility.

Sherbenou said staff would be cautious about committing to substantially lower admission fees, because the city also has a responsibility to recover operating costs. He said the 2023 operational study evaluated how fees would affect participation and revenue, and it is safe to say Orchard Mesa Pool fees would be comparable to those planned for the Community Recreation Center, including daily admissions, punch passes and annual passes.

Sherbenou added that if voters approve the proposal, the pool would operate as its own standalone-cost center, supported by the dedicated sales tax and user fees. 

Although the project would not significantly expand amenities, several council members said preserving the pool could create opportunities for future partnerships and additional recreational opportunities in Orchard Mesa.

Bennett said having a funded plan in place would make it easier to pursue partnerships, similar to those developed for the Community Recreation Center.

Sherbenou noted that closing the pool would leave Orchard Mesa with a significantly lower level of recreational service than it has today.

Next steps

Council reached consensus Monday to move forward with drafting ballot language and an intergovernmental agreement with Mesa County for the November election.

The agreement with the county is expected to go before council Aug. 19 ahead of the Aug. 25 deadline. Council is scheduled to review draft ballot language during its Aug. 31 workshop before taking formal action Sept. 2.

The final ballot language must be certified to Mesa County by Sept. 4 in order to appear on the November ballot.