Scott Swanson
The Linn County Clerk’s Office has announced a special election for a two-year local option levy to fund the School District 55 swimming pool, to be held May 15.
The levy, titled “Two Year Local Option Tax for Swim Pool Operations,” will ask voters whether they agree to a levy of 32 cents per $1,000 tax assessed value for two years starting in 2012-13 for swim pool operations. It notes that passage could cause property taxes to increase more than 3 percent.”
The school district announced it would cut most of its swimming pool operations last summer in an effort keep the facility open in the face of reductions in state funding, before the City Council kicked in $10,000 last July to help keep the pool operating.
The local option levy ballot measure was filed with the clerk on Feb. 23 after the School Board voted in November to pursue that option.
According to the county’s summary statement for the levy request, estimates based on current property assessments suggest that the measure would raise $90,000 in 2012-13 and $90,900 in 2013-14, for a total of $180,900 over the levy’s two-year life.
District offisials have said they will need to find an estimated $1 million in cuts and savings for the 2012-13 school year, and as part of its effort to find money, the district has implemented a four-day school week beginning next school year to save approximately $340,000.
Bruce Davis, president of the Sweet Home Swim Club, which is one of the primary users of the pool, said the levy was written and submitted by the school district, but that local pool users will be aggressively working to “promote” it.
“We’re going to get the word out about what’s on the ballot,” he said.
The school district would maintain control of the pool, but funding provided by the levy would simply keep the pool open – “heat, water, chemicals and the aquatic director’s position,” he said. The district would have to decide what programs, such as open swims and lessons, would be offered.
“A lot of things have to be worked out,” Davis said. “The biggest thought on everybody’s mind is, ‘Let’s get funding in place to keep it open, then flesh out the details of the actual operation. It’s just a matter of having the pool open. That’s the big part.”
Aquatics Director Junia Calhoon said the pool has been running minimal hours in recent months – mostly in the evenings and mornings – for lap swimming, swim team workouts and some open swim times.
“We’re making sure everything that comes in covers the lifeguards and instructors,” she said. “Once the levy passes, it will be kind of exciting. We’ll actually be able to offer more – lunch hour swims, classes, etc. – we’ll have a lot more available to us.”
She said that free swimming lessons provided for local students, are services that don’t make money, so they will be discussed once the financial situation becomes clear.
“We will have to get together with the school district and figure out what we want and what will work financially,” she said.
Davis said those promoting the levy will begin campaigning later this month.
“We’ll be hitting people pretty hard – advertising, signage, trying to get the word out as much as we can,” he said. “We’re just trying to keep the pool open. We’re not asking for a lot of excess money, just enough for an aquatic director and money to operate the pool. We have some plans that you’ll be seeing here shortly. “
District Business Manager Kevin Strong said that if the levy passes, it could qualify Sweet Home for up to $70,000 in state equalization grant money, which is awarded to districts in which assessed property value per student is below the 75th percentile of all school districts and in which voters approve a local option property tax, such as the one being submitted to Sweet Home voters.
He said that, as long as the Legislature continues the program, Sweet Home could be eligible for the money.
“At this point, any district that qualifies for it can get it.”