Marion officials outline property tax impacts of proposed aquatics center

MARION — The city of Marion is testing the waters on residents’ willingness to support a bond referendum to construct a new aquatics center.

City officials have been exploring potential pathways toward the replacement of the city pool with a new aquatics center between 31st and 34th streets south of Munier Road.

The existing pool — located at Willowood Park — was built in 1987 and has outlived its useful life. The city is facing costly repairs on a near-annual basis, and it is likely that the next major equipment failure will force a permanent closure.

Officials hope to address that issue with the construction of the new aquatics center, although that project is contingent upon the passage of a voter-approved bond referendum requiring at least 60 percent approval.

To measure potential support, the city recently sent a mailer to all residents with additional information on the project and a survey meant to collect comments, questions and other feedback.

“We’ve laid out the project the way we have (to focus on) community engagement,” Deputy City Manager Kim Downs told City Council members ahead of the survey’s dissemination. “The polling survey is really us gauging our community support and determining the funding tolerance.”

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In the survey, residents were presented with two base options — one with a wave pool and one without — as well as with a series of "alternatives" or potential additions such as pickleball courts, playground area and/or park pavilion.

The first base option has an estimated cost of $42.4 million and would include a recreational pool for younger children and their guardians, lazy river, dive pool, lap pool and related parking and street infrastructure.

The second base project includes all those amenities, plus a wave pool that could simulate artificially-generated waves. The wave pool would cost an additional $3.6 million, bringing overall project costs to $46 million.

Property tax impacts would vary depending on the property type and valuation. Residential properties valued at $100,000 would see an estimated annual increase of $75 over the 20-year bond repayment period under the first base option or $81 under the second.

Commercial properties valued at $350,000 would see an estimated annual increase of $396 under the first option or $429 a year if the wave pool were included.

The city also is seeking citizen feedback on several alternatives with a focus on dry-ground amenities such as pickleball courts, a new playground, park pavilion and/or two miniature sports fields designed for soccer and basketball.

All amenities presented were based upon community feedback the city has received in recent years as it has planned for the aquatics center project.

“Looking at these alternatives with the dry recreation part of the aquatic center, (we’re looking to see) is that something that people would want to add to the base project,” Downs said. “It’s kind of like an a la carte set up” where people can pick and choose their preferred amenities.

That feedback will be used to determine whether any of those amenities should be added to the project as presented on a potential referendum. If all of the amenities were to be included, the overall project cost would be $50.8 million.

At that cost, the owner of a $100,000 residential property would see an estimated annual property tax increase of $90. Commercial properties valued at $350,000 would see an estimated annual increase of $474.

Notably, the bond referendum does not include costs associated with the demolition of the existing city pool or the broader redevelopment of Willowood Park.

Instead, Downs said the plan is to put forward those improvements as part of the city’s standard capital improvement budgeting process.

Residents have until July 28 to fill out the survey, and City Council members will review those results at their Aug. 19 meeting. The overall cost and tax impacts will depend on the final scope of the project.

The council will then have to determine whether to move forward with a bond referendum with a Sept. 18 deadline to finalize language for the Nov. 4 ballot.

The city already has received more than 1,100 survey responses. Residents who have not yet received a survey or who need additional copies for other adults in their household should call the Marion Parks and Recreation Department at 319-447-3580.

Comments: grace.nieland@thegazette.com