This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Longmont City Council voted to add O-2019-46, A Bill For An Ordinance Concerning The Funding Of A Competitive Pool And Ice Rink And In Connection Therewith Amending Chapter 4.04 Of The Longmont Municipal Code For Increasing The Sales And Use Tax Rate From 3.53 Percent To 3.71 Percent, Which Is An Increase Of One And Eight One Hundredth Cents On Each Ten Dollar Purchase, Beginning January 1, 2020, And Referring Said Tax Increase And An Increase In City Debt For Such Funding To A Vote Of The Qualified Electors to the November 2019 ballot.
Comments were made by members of city council about why would we spend money on an ice rink when we haven’t finished flood repairs in the city. Concern was also expressed that the language over the operational costs of the pool was not transparent enough.
The two members of the public who came out to speak against the proposal of the tax, repeatedly expressed that an ice rink is neither needed nor wanted. They stated that a swimming pool would be good for the community but the question was raised about why a hockey rink was the second half of the ballot measure and not an additional rec center that would alleviate congestion at the current rec center.
The argument was also made that the ice rink would be a boondoggle being spent not for Longmont but for the region without any financial support from the region to cover the expected $636,000 per year operating cost.
Another member of the public came out against any new facility at all saying it was a luxury, not a need, and that even though the school district would certainly use the pool they were refusing to commit to paying for a share of said facility.
Other members of the council argued for the project arguing that if it is built people will come. It passed 5-2.
