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Stayton pool funding plan includes proposed levy increase; endowment to be used for capital needs
Summary
Budget staff and pool management told the committee the pool’s operating and capital needs require a proposed recreation levy increase; the city and the pool endowment would both be used to sustain operations and capital work while staff pursue other funding.
Pool staff and city budget staff explained that maintaining the municipal pool at current service levels will require additional, recurring revenue and that the draft budget expects a combination of levy revenues, charges for services, general fund subsidy and the pool endowment to cover operations and some capital needs.
Pool presenter (Alyssa Angelo, assistant city manager) told the committee that swim‑lesson demand is high—"April's lessons filled up in 2 minutes"—and that staffing availability (lifeguards/instructors) limits the number of lessons the city can offer. Staff said the draft budget aligns charges for services with recent small fee increases and that the proposed levy would fund long‑term operations and some maintenance identified in a recent pool facility audit.
Nut graf: To keep the pool at current operating levels and address deferred maintenance identified in an audit, the draft budget assumes a recreation levy increase for the next levy cycle; staff said the levy revenue is planned to flow directly into the pool fund, not through the general fund.
Revenue mix and endowment
Staff described four revenue streams for the pool: (1) charges for services (user fees and rentals), (2) the pool endowment (a limited fund currently projected to assist with capital work), (3) a direct levy for pool and parks, and (4) general fund transfers. Staff explained the proposed levy would begin after the current levy period ends; the draft assumes a higher levy rate for the biennium beginning July 1, 2026 if voters approve the ballot measure. Staff also said the pool endowment has limited ongoing contributions and that the plan would draw the endowment during the next levy period to support capital work.
Questions and clarifications
Committee members asked what the levy revenue would fund; staff replied the increase is intended to "maintain what we're doing now" and catch up on deferred maintenance identified in the audit. Staff pledged to provide a clearer breakdown of the specific capital items the levy would fund and to return with cost estimates per project.
Ending
Staff asked the committee to consider the levy assumptions in the context of the broader general fund transfers and to direct any follow‑up questions about how transfers and the levy interrelate to staff before the next session.
