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 not on property owners.

On November 4, 2025 the voters of the City of Cañon City turned down the proposed Excise Tax, to fund pool operations, by 9.32%.  This means the project is in the same position as it was following the 2024 election, capital construction has been authorized while operational funding has not.  The Recreation District Board of Directors have made it clear, the pool will not be constructed unless operational funding has been secured.  There is no desire to build a pool, but not let it be used.  

The City of Cañon City formed a Pool Committee in February of 2026 to explore and evaluate potential funding options.  There will be options presented at the Cañon City Council meeting on June 1, 2026.  For now construction is on hold, and unfortunately the project is around two years behind schedule. 

Yes, we did state during presentations that all three questions needed to pass in order to have a swimming pool.  Also discussed at these same presentations was what would happen if capital construction passed, but operations did not.  At the time we said a decision would need to be made on how to move forward, including asking a second operations question the following year.  This is exactly what occurred. 

Two things can be true at the same time.  One, capital construction of the proposed pool was approved by the voters.  Two, operations were not approved.  We can build the pool, but we don’t have the funding to operate it, as public pools are a service and subsidized.  Both the Recreation District and City Council agreed that construction would not begin unless operational funding was secured, however planning for the facility could begin so the project didn’t fall too far behind schedule and out of budget.  In November of 2025 a second operational question was asked to the voters, and for a second time it was voted down. We remain in the same position, only two of the three questions have passed.  Operational funding has not been secured, so construction has not begun.  In other words, there is no pool. 

City Council will meet on June 1st to discuss operational funding, and the Recreation District Board of Directors will meet on June 9th.  Following those two meetings, we will have a better understanding of where things stand with the pool project. 

No.  What was proposed in 2025 was developed through community feedback as 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  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. 

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 was $480 per square foot for an outdoor facility.  For an indoor facility the cost in 2025 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 including 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 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.   

In 2024 the Recreation District conducted a feasibility study for a pool replacement.  During this process we sought input on what the community wanted in a pool facility.  A year-round pool was preferred over a seasonal option.  It was more affordable to have an indoor/outdoor hybrid model, rather than a fully indoor facility.  A pool concept presented to the public included an indoor lap pool with recreational features and an outdoor leisure pool with a lazy river, play area splash features, zero entry, recreational features, a slide, and a spa.  There was an option for an additional two lap-lanes on the leisure pool if funding allowed.  The entire bath-house and mechanical rooms would be replaced, and a new parking lot on the front lawn of Cañon City High School added.  At the time, the price tag was $24.8 million and contingent on all three ballot measures passing in November of 2024.  However, the two capital construction measures passed, but the operations question failed.  Meaning we can build a new pool but not operate it.  The Board of Directors and City Council decided to plan for construction but not break ground while operational options could be explored.

In 2025, the District began planning for construction of the pool.  This included hiring an owner’s representative, Wember, an architecture firm, Barker Rinker Seacat, and a construction manager at risk, GH Phipps.  All parties agreed we would get to 50% Design Documents and go no further.  This way planning would have a head start, and we would not have to make as many changes due to cost escalation.  The concept of an outdoor/indoor pool remained, but changes were required to stay within the $24.8 million budget.  The lazy river was eliminated, the leisure pool shrunk a little, there would not be a two-lap addition to the leisure pool, the spa was removed, the slide became an add alternate, and the building reduced in size.  In the meantime, a ballot measure was submitted for the November 2025 election to address operations.  For a second consecutive year it was defeated.  The Cañon City Council decided at a meeting later that month with the District Board of Directors in attendance, the sales tax for pool construction would continue to be collected as operational funding options were explored.  No construction or additional planning would take place during this time. 

In 2026 the City Council formed a pool committee to investigate options for pool operations.  They would speak with other local government entities about dedicated funding, look for other revenue sources, and examine the current proforma.  On June 1, 2026 the City Council will discuss these findings.  As for construction, the cost to build the facility continues to rise.  Cuts were already made to the proposed facility between 2024 and 2025 and with the two failed measures we are two years behind schedule.  Now the cost of building this facility would be beyond the planned budget as pool costs continue to rise.  For current examples, Fort Morgan is building an indoor facility, and the cost is $6 million higher than anticipated and Pueblo West is around $5 million higher than expected.  Both are still in the design phase, but cuts will have to be made.  Adams School District 12 is only refinishing their pool bottom and walls, and their cost is $3 million.  It is unlikely the Recreation District will be able to build what was presented to the voters in November of 2024 and 2025.  The concept will have to change, but the Board of Directors will seek feedback from the community first. 

Air-supported systems (bubbles) are used for some recreation facilities, including pools, to create year-round use instead of traditional construction.  Up front, these bubbles are less expensive than brick and mortar year-round pools.  This makes it a popular choice for some private clubs and for developers of metro districts and HOA’s due to the price difference.  It simply saves money up front. However, is it the best option for the long term?

Purchasing an air-supported system does save money up front for capital construction.  However, operationally it becomes much more expensive.  These systems last between 10 and 15 years if they are well maintained.  In other words, you will replace it five or more times over the life of the pool, a cost in the millions.  The cost in today’s dollars to maintain the system, including take down and set up, is around $120,000 per year, so this cost will increase over time.  The expense will come from the annual operating budget and is not accounted for in the current proforma.  These systems also have higher humidity levels which put added strain on the HVAC and mechanical systems, which means more frequent repair and replacement.  These are just a few issues.

Air-supported systems are used, but municipalities and special districts have moved away from them as the return on investment is not there.  Government agencies are looking for facilities that last 50 years or longer, so the better return on investment is traditional brick and mortar. 

After evaluating the options, the Recreation District and our partners felt the best option was to go with traditional brick and mortar.  It took the pressure off the operational funding needs and had a significant longer life for the building and mechanical systems. 

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.  Canon City School District remains supportive of the efforts for a new pool facility.

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 $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 charge affordable rates to meet the socioeconomic needs of the community. 

Every year the District subsidized the operations of the R.C. Icabone Swimming Pool.  The amount varied based on the needs of the facility in a particular year.  Sometimes it was more than $100,000 if there were certain maintenance needs, such as adding a fiberglass liner or replacing the sand filters.  In most years it was between $40,000 and $50,000.  The funds came from two sources, the General Fund (property tax revenue), and Conservation Trust Funds (CTF) which is annual funding from lottery proceeds through the State of Colorado.  A little more than $20,000 came from CTF and the rest from the General Fund ($20,000 to $30,000 annually).  Revenue generated by the pool through open swim, lessons, concessions, rentals, programming, and swim team practices and meets provided the remaining operational funds.  Those revenue sources generated between $70,000 and $80,000 annually. 

By not having the pool open the District utilized the funds that normally went to the pool subsidy to pay for feasibility studies, design, and surveys.  This way the funds still went to the pool.  All this work had to be completed to know what type of replacement options to present to the public.  If we can get a facility constructed, the District intends to continue a similar funding level to subsidize the new pool.  The costs of operating a pool are not getting cheaper as salaries, chemicals, and utility costs continue to increase.  

Grants for 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 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.  This includes El Pomar Foundation, Gates Family Foundation, USDA, and Bill and Melida Gates Foundation just to name a few. There simply are not many options available when it comes to grant funding for commercial public swimming pools.  We are also not the only community looking for these grants.

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.