The goal from the beginning was to not put the entire project on the backs of property owners with a large mill levy increase.  The voters have previously made clear, as recently as 2021, that they do not want a large mill levy increase to fund the pool.  As a special district, the Recreation District cannot ask a sales tax question, only property tax.  The City of Cañon City felt a pool in our community was an essential service and decided to partner with us.  This partnership means three questions needed to pass.  They were:

1)      A 0.30% sales tax increase to pay for capital construction and capital reserves for the swimming facility.  This will be collected through city sales tax and passed through to the Recreation District to pay off the bonds.  It will sunset once the bonds to construct the pool are paid off in 25 years.  This was a City of Cañon City question, and you needed to live within city limits to vote on this question. 

2)      A debt financing question from the Recreation District.  This question is not a tax increase.  It is the District asking the community for permission to go into debt to acquire general obligation bonds to construct the facility and build some capital reserves.  The bonds are paid off by the sales tax and will sunset once the debt is repaid.  The estimate is that it will take 25 years to do this. You needed to live within the boundaries of the Recreation District or own property in the District to be eligible to vote on this question.

3)      A four mill increase in the Recreation District’s mill levy.  This was to go to both the operations subsidy of the new pool facility and for current Recreation District operations.  This increase would not sunset as the expenses of the Recreation District are ongoing.  This would be voted on by residents of the District. 

All three questions, one from the City and two from the Recreation District, needed to pass to have a swimming pool facility.  This means two needed to pass for capital construction and one for operations.  Following the election, the two construction questions passed and the operations question did not.  In other words, pool construction has been authorized, but there is no funding to operate it.  As discussed in numerous presentations, we are looking at the options to address the operational needs of the pool.

The voters in November of 2024 said they were not in favor of a property tax increase for both pool and District operations.  The District was asked to find another way to fund pool operations. Information the District received from pollsters showed a property tax measure was not likely to pass.  Numerous options were considered early in 2025, but they were not legally possible.  In July of 2025 an excise tax was presented as an option for pool funding.  That left two choices on the table, and the Recreation District Boad of Directors and City Council decided to move forward with the excise tax option.  It places more of the burden on tourists and less on property owners.

There are several communities with this type of tax and here are just a few examples.  Manitou Springs currently has a 5% excise tax on tourism related activities.  Breckenridge and Vail both have excise taxes on lift tickets and a few more ski resorts will be added to this list in 2025/2026. Branson, Missouri has a tourism related excise tax, and their tourist train is included in this tax.  It does exist in numerous communities and information is readily available online.

Yes, in Colorado property values have risen over the last decade.  This is based on demand for homes and businesses on a statewide level.  This does not mean your property tax has increased at the same level as your property value.  How property is assessed in Colorado is determined by the Legislature on a statewide basis.   While your property values have increased, the amount of property tax you pay has not increased at the same rate due to the State Legislature making four adjustments to assessment rates over the past sixteen months.  Even if your property value has doubled in the last decade or less, the amount of revenue the Recreation District has received has not doubled in more than 25 years.  Has our revenue gone up?  Yes, but not nearly as much as you would think.

We are the second lowest funded recreation district in the state of Colorado, per capita.  We have never had a mill levy increase. For example, from 2020 to 2023 we made improvements at Rouse Park totaling $750,000.  These included replacing the playground, stadium lights, adding covered dugouts and shade structures, and replacing a backstop.  To do this we received numerous grants, ARPA funding, donations from local businesses and organizations, and Recreation District public dollars.  Without the help we received, none of the improvements would have been possible.  The District stretches every dollar we have and leverage it to try and improve existing facilities.  Currently the assets of the District equal a little more than $6 million.  The addition of a pool facility would more than quadruple our existing assets.   

The Recreation District owned and operated the Icabone Swimming Pool for 57 years before it had to be closed in May of 2023.  Once that happened, the City of Cañon City approached the District to see how they could help in getting the pool replaced.  The District, City, and several local businesses partnered for a feasibility study to determine what type of facility the community wanted, where it would be located, and determine how much it would cost to construct and operate.  Cañon City Schools also asked how they could assist in this effort.  They agreed to give land in front of the high school, said they would have a boys and girls swim team, and were interested in PE classes and swim lessons during the school year.  In August 2024 the Fremont County Commissioners offered $100,000 in ARPA funds if a ballot question was passed to construct the pool. 

Local government is working together to bring a pool facility to Cañon City.

Cañon City Schools is committed to responsibly using its funds and grants to support its core mission—educating students. The district’s capital and grant resources, including Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) funds, are restricted for school-related facilities and educational purposes only.  BEST dollars, for example, can only be used for projects that directly enhance student learning environments, such as classrooms, roofs, HVAC systems, and safety improvements. These funds cannot be used to construct or operate community recreation facilities like a pool.  Additionally, the district’s general budget is funded primarily through state and local tax dollars allocated for instructional programs, staff, transportation, and student services. Using those funds for a community pool would not be permissible under state law and would divert critical resources away from classrooms.  While the district supports and recognizes the community’s desire for a pool and supports efforts to make it a reality, Cañon City Schools is not in the pool business. That role appropriately belongs to the Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District, which remains committed to donating land to help make this dream a reality for our community.

Grants for commercial public pool construction and operations are very limited.  The Recreation District has looked at Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Grants for the facility.  We are limited to a $2 million request and traditionally if they support a pool it is at a level under $1 million.  That is not even 5% of the project budget.  We applied for a Land Water Conservation Fund Grant through Colorado Parks and Wildlife and were denied in large part because the community did not fund the operations of the facility.  This grant is also funded federally through the National Parks Service and unfortunately those funds are no longer available.  Those are just two examples.  We have explored numerous grants and none of them support capital construction or operations of community pools.  There simply are not many options available when it comes to grant funding.

Pools are extremely expensive facilities, which is why we must ask the community for support.  In 2014 the standard, outdoor, seasonal commercial public pool was being built for $180 to $200 per square foot.  In 2024 the cost is $480 per square foot.  This was for an outdoor facility.  For an indoor facility the cost in 2025 was $770 a square foot and in 2025 that number has grown to $980 a square foot.  These costs are expected to nearly double in 10-years.  The indoor facility needs a building that can manage high humidity and treated water.  This means different decking, pool structure, liner, filtration system, pipes, gutters, skimmers, HVAC systems, upsized locker rooms, and bathrooms for non-swimmers. Furthermore, existing codes must still be complied with.  There are numerous codes which must be met from ADA to the Model Aquatic Health Code, to State requirements, and local regulations. 

Also there are only a handful of companies in the United States which design commercial public pools.  This also drives the cost up.  We are not happy with the cost of commercial public pools, but that does not mean the price is not correct.  These facilities will only get more expensive over time and their costs are rising faster than inflation.  The price of this proposed facility is in line with other projects around the state and country.   

No.  What is being proposed through community feedback is an indoor/outdoor combination facility.  This creates year-round use.  By no means is it extravagant.  The design is a standard, modern pool facility being constructed today in communities our size all over America.  There are commercial public pools being built which cost over $60 million.  They are extravagant and have similarities to a water park.  If you compare this proposed facility with other communities, you will find ours is significantly cheaper and smaller. 

This is something that is simply not done.  When you build a backyard pool there is one code to meet.  For a commercial facility, there are as many as ten different codes you must meet and they don't always play nice with each other.  You need a commercial pool designer and builder to get you through this process to have a facility that will meet code and last 50+ years.  This is not a project that can be done with a community build mentality.  The one part of the project which can be done by local contractors is demolition.  This is where some cost savings could come in to play.

Standard commercial public pools are not, and never will be, 100% sustainable.  In the United States there are five publicly owned facilities that are profitable; but they are water parks, not a standard commercial public pool.  Two of them are in Colorado: Water World and Pirates Cove.  Public pools are a service.  They provide needed recreational opportunities to the citizens and their fee structure must meet the socioeconomics of their community.  The Recreation District subsidized the Icabone Pool around $40,000 to $50,000 every year by using both the general fund and Conservation Trust Fund (lottery) dollars.  In our region of the state, pools in Florence, Pueblo West, Pueblo, Woodland Park, Walsenburg, Trinidad, and Colorado Springs are subsidized by local government.  To operate a commercial public pool, you must have the funding available to cover the shortfall.

The entire amount of pool operations is not being subsidized.  In fact, that has never been proposed.  Publicly owned pools are normally subsidized around 50%.  This means 50% of the operations are paid through the revenue generated at the pool, including open swim fees, pool passes, swim lessons, rentals, concessions, etc.  The remaining 50% is covered by a subsidy.  Public pools are a service and not designed to get to 100% cost recovery. Because it is a public facility, the goal is to offer affordable rates to meet the socioeconomic needs of the community. 

Yes.  Public pools have admission fees to help offset the cost of day-to-day operations.  The Icabone Swimming Pool operated this way since it opened in 1966.  However, the fees to swim in the public facility must meet the socioeconomic needs of the community.  You must have a balance between cost recovery and price points.  In the case of the proposed facility, you must factor in that Cañon City is above the state average for the percentage of people below the poverty line.  In 2022 the Icabone Pool had a $4 entry fee for children and seniors, and a $5 entry fee for adults.  When  budgeting for operational expenses as part of the Feasibility Study, we used a $5 daily entry fee to use the facility.  There will also be memberships for singles, couples, and families, as well as rates for seniors.  Daily pricing is projected to start at $6 for youth and seniors and $8 for adults on a day pass.  The price will increase for out-of-District users.  This is a projection.

There will be fees for swimming lessons as well.  In 2022 the fees were about $48 for each swim lesson session (9 lessons over three weeks).  We also had a scholarship program for families in need that reduced this expense by 50%.  The Recreation District will look to continue this type of program.

The Recreation District will generate revenue in a multitude of ways.  There are daily rates to use the pool, season passes, punch passes, swim lessons, exercise classes, party room rentals, pool rentals, swim meets, swim practices, and concessions.  These are just some of the ways revenue will be generated.  This is no different than how the Icabone Swimming Pool operated for 56 years. 

There is an extensive list of requirements for a YMCA to come into a community.

1) For the YMCA to come to Cañon City they require the TAXPAYERS to fund/pay for the capital construction of the pool. Capital construction is the entire cost to build the pool and associated facilities is estimated to be around $24.8 million.

2) The YMCA charges management fees in addition to operation fees, which are paid for by the TAXPAYERS.

3) If the YMCA does not generate enough income to cover the annual budget, TAXPAYERS must pay the difference. Example: The YMCA contracts with the Cañon City Area Recreation District (CCRD) to operate on a $500,000 budget and the memberships and activities only generated $250,000 for the year.  CCRD must pay $250,000 to the YMCA that year to make up the deficit.  Pools operate at a deficit every year so CCRD would have to find other ways to generate the income to pay the YMCA. 

4) The YMCA organization keeps all revenue generated and none is returned to the community

Additional facts about YMCA and funding:

1. For the YMCA to balance their budgets in both Colorado Springs and Pueblo, both municipalities and counties provide them with a subsidy.  In the case of the partnership between the City of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak YMCA, the city provides $700,000 annually (from TAXPAYERS) in maintenance services to make sure the five pools are operational and open. 
2. The programming, staffing, and day-to-day work is handled by the YMCA, but the maintenance, liability, and utilities are handled and paid for by the city (from TAXPAYERS). 
3. The YMCA is a fee-based organization.  It is not uncommon for YMCA recreation centers and pools to be more expensive than similar facilities operated by municipalities or districts.  This means you will be paying taxes for the facility and paying more than necessary for membership.
4. The swimming pools operated by the YMCA in Colorado Springs are TWICE the admission cost of publicly owned facilities operated by the communities in Pueblo, Florence, and Cañon City. 
5. If the YMCA felt they could operate in Cañon City, they would already be here. They were approached and discussions occurred in 1999, 2009, and 2017.
6. The YMCA in Pueblo was struggling to operate their pools and have returned operations back to the City of Pueblo.

Yes, schools, first responders, and roads are essential services to any community; however, some do not think about parks and recreation as an essential service.  A phrase which applies here is, “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.”  In 2010, Colorado Springs made the choice to cut their Parks and Recreation Department by 85%.  Parks, trails, pavilions, and playgrounds were not maintained, some programs were eliminated, and many staff members were let go.  It did not take long for the community to get upset because the facilities they enjoyed using were no longer maintained.  Not only did the citizens of Colorado Springs learn the value of recreation, but so did the government.  People complained about an increase in crime and the fact they no longer wanted to use facilities in disrepair.  Fast forward to now and not only did Colorado Springs reinstate the budget for parks and recreation but have continued to look for ways to invest in additional parks, trails, facilities such as pickleball courts, and programs.  “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” is a lesson the community learned and now they continue to invest in recreation because it is an essential service.

Parks and recreation are taken for granted in many communities.  The question is not, is recreation a luxury; rather, do you want to live in a community without parks, trails, open spaces, and programs?  Imagine Cañon City with no parks, trails, playgrounds, courts, open spaces, and no adult or youth programs.  Is that a community you would want to live in?  Parks and recreation improve the quality of life in our community 365 days a year.  You can go for a walk on the beautiful Riverwalk, take your dog to the dog park, use the archery range, take your kids to a playground, have a family gathering at one of the many pavilions, participate in one of many sports programs, or attend one of our special events.  There is tremendous value in that.  Recreation is not a luxury; it is an essential service.

No.  The Recreation District offices will remain exactly where they are, 575 Ash Street in Cañon City.  There are two office in the proposed pool facility.  One for the pool manager, and the other for the lifeguards.  That is it.  The District did not want to increase the cost of the facility, which would happen if the offices moved.  This is why we are staying right where we are currently located.