A swimming pool expansion in High River will no longer be funded by a property tax increase.
Work is underway for the Aquatics Facility Expansion at High River’s Bob Snodgrass Recreational Complex. With an expected cost of nearly $27 million, the Town originally planned to borrow money for some of the costs that would be paid back through a tax levy.
About $13.5 million would have been borrowed and paid back by residents through a property tax increase of about $16 per month for 30 years.
The Town's plan to borrow changed after a procedural error and a petition from residents, with 1,617 signatures, was delivered to council during its meeting on Oct. 28.
Construction on the pool expansion started in the summer, before a borrowing bylaw was in place, but regulations in the Municipal Government Act (MGA) state that construction can’t start on a project until borrowing is approved by council.
Mayor Craig Snodgrass provided comments during the council meeting on Nov. 12.
“Because of the miss in the (MGA) and because of the petition...council voted not to proceed with second reading at that meeting (on Oct. 28), which automatically killed the borrowing bylaw,” Snodgrass said.
Defeating the borrowing bylaw in council changed the way the project will be funded.
Rather than borrowing, the Town will use money from reserve funds to complete the pool expansion.
"I want to make it clear to the public that no money will be borrowed to complete the aquatics expansion," Snodgrass said. "There will also not be any tax increases needed for the completion of this project."
He said the proposed plan to complete the project will be finalized during the 2025 budget process.
Grants are expected to cover about $11.8 million, and reserves will cover about $15 million, with a total project cost of about $26.8 million.
During council’s Nov. 25 meeting, the Town's capital budget was amended to remove borrowing as a way to finance the pool expansion and to include the use of reserve funding.
Using reserves means there won’t be a 30-year borrowing period, interest payments or a tax increase, Snodgrass said.
