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Cañon City committee weighs options for $1.5–$2 million in pool tax revenue
Summary
A Cañon City ballot committee met to decide whether to refund or repurpose roughly $1.5–$2 million in sales-tax revenue collected for a proposed pool. Members floated park projects, downtown improvements, public-safety funding and a smaller 'mini-incline,' and asked attorneys to clarify what voters must approve.
A Cañon City ballot committee met to begin deciding how to handle about $1.5 to $2 million in sales-tax receipts that were originally earmarked for construction and debt service on a proposed community pool, Mayor Phil L said.
The meeting, convened so volunteers could craft options for city council and the ballot, focused on three immediate questions: what projects could legally be funded if voters approve repurposing the money, whether the city can keep and redirect already-collected receipts, and whether the committee should recommend returning money to taxpayers if repurposing is not permitted.
“There's be about $1.5 to $2 million that … would be available,” Mayor Phil L said, urging the committee to propose a legacy project “that brings this community together” rather than a divisive option. Council member Fred Tony, who is chairing the committee, set an aggressive timeline for the group to present choices to council so attorneys can draft ballot language ahead of a November vote.
Tammy Nordike, the city’s finance director, told the group the original ballot authorized a 0.3% sales-tax specifically to pay debt service on the swimming-pool bond. “In order for the city to do anything else with that money, it has to be approved by the voters,” she said, and the attorneys will be asked to confirm legal options and any statutory limits.
Committee members offered a range of possibilities during a brainstorm. Candidates included continuing the tax for new projects, refunding contributors, funding park work such as a Clock Tower plaza or the first phase of Western Gateway Park, renovating public restrooms (estimated around $500,000), small downtown upgrades (lighting, landscaping), and a modest ‘mini-incline’ staircase on Skyline Drive intended to be a low-cost attraction. One member also raised whether part of the money could cover salaries for the downtown DICE public-safety unit once grant support ends.
Some members favored returning most funds to taxpayers if the pool cannot be built. Others urged projects that would serve the broader recreation district, not just city residents, noting the tax vote had regional implications. Multiple participants emphasized the committee should present several vetted options, each with pros and cons, cost estimates and a description of who would benefit.
The committee set a public kickoff for Monday the 22nd at 6 p.m. to gather citizen input and agreed to collect specific questions for the city attorneys. A follow-up meeting on the 26th was planned so attorneys could report back on what the city legally may propose on the ballot. The chair said the committee hopes to give council a short list by early July for inclusion in the July 20 council packet.
The meeting closed with instructions for members to bring three candidate projects or concepts to the next session and to prepare simple pro/con analyses so council will have concrete choices.
