The city of West Linn will not place a bond measure to fund a new community recreation center on the ballot this November. Though the city eyed the November election as an opportunity to ask voters to fund a new recreation center, results from recent polling and a community questionnaire gave city leaders pause.
At a meeting Monday, July 8, the West Linn City Council heard from Parks and Recreation Director Megan Big John and MIG consultant Ryan Mottau about the tail end of phase two of the city’s recreation center feasibility study.
The city launched the feasibility study last year after the City Council made exploring the idea of a rec center one of its top priorities for 2023.
Through this study process, the city outlined what the facility would look like and the amenities it would feature based on community feedback. The study found building the facility would likely cost around $65 million, while operating the center would cost about $1 million per year.
Learning what these costs would mean if paid entirely through a taxpayer bond and annual levy is what seemed to concern many West Linn residents.
Between a statistically valid poll of 250 West Linn voters and the online questionnaire , which 1,534 residents responded to, the city received feedback from about 10% of its total voting population, city staff noted at Monday’s meeting.
Because the poll and questionnaire showed about half of respondents would likely oppose a $65 million bond measure this November, the city will explore alternative funding methods like grants, donations or public-private partnerships to reduce the facility’s overall cost to taxpayers.
Based on current costs, voters would pay an additional $1.18 per $1,000 of assessed value in property taxes for the $65 million bond. City staff noted there was some confusion among community members regarding the difference of assessed value and real property value, which is typically higher.
The levy, which would generate about $1 million to operate the facility each year, would cost West Linn property owners an additional 24 cents per $1,000 in property taxes annually.
The city is not planning to place either the levy or bond measure on the November ballot.
In addition to cost, Big John noted some residents had other reservations about building a rec center. She shared comments from the online questionnaire, which gave respondents the opportunity to provide open-ended input.
Some commenters shared they would not support the center without a pool. The city’s plans included room for a pool to be built in the future, but the pool was not included in the initial $65 million project.
Other commenters said West Linn did not need a rec center right now, particularly with the Lake Oswego Recreation and Aquatic Center opening nearby soon. Some shared concern that there would be fees to use the facility on top of the bond and levy.
Mottau was not optimistic about the bond’s chances in the November election, but cautioned that waiting much longer would only cause costs to grow.
“Time will mean that this project is more expensive,” Mottau said. “I don’t want this work necessarily to sit on the shelf.”
Councilor Carol Bryck noted that, while inflation and rising construction costs will continue to make this project more expensive the longer the city waits, interest rates could become more favorable in the future.
“Putting it on the ballot this November is probably not the best plan,” Council President Mary Baumgardner said. “I want to continue the conversation and explore other funding options. I see the value and there’s a lot of interest in having something like this.”
When West Linn last put an aquatic and recreation center proposal before voters, in 2013, 76% voted against it.
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