Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District 2024 Ballot Measure Survey

Magellan Strategies is pleased to present the topline results of a survey of 1,027 voters in the Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District. The interviews were conducted from July 25th through August 4th, 2024.

This survey assessed voter attitudes toward potential ballot measures to fund a new community recreation pool for the Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District. The survey revealed strong community support for the recreation district overall, with a large majority of respondents approving of the job the district is doing managing parks, open space, events, and recreation programs. Most voters also agreed that the district is fiscally responsible and spends taxpayer money wisely, though a notable portion remained unsure about this assessment.

The need for a new pool was well understood by voters, as the R.C. Icabone Pool had closed in 2023 due to significant mechanical and structural issues after serving the community since 1966. When asked generally about supporting a modest tax increase to fund a new pool, a strong majority of respondents indicated support. The survey emphasized that the old pool had doubled its expected lifespan through careful maintenance but was now beyond repair, and that four previous funding attempts between 1989 and 2021 had been unsuccessful.

The survey tested two different pool options with their associated ballot measures. Option A proposed an outdoor combination recreational and program pool with an outdoor leisure pool at an estimated cost of $12.8 million. This option required three ballot measures: a 0.25% sales tax increase, a 3 mill property tax increase, and a debt financing measure. Initial support for these measures showed majority approval across all three components, with the sales tax increase receiving the strongest support, followed by the debt financing measure, and then the property tax increase showing the lowest but still majority support.

Option B proposed an indoor combination recreational and program pool with an outdoor leisure pool at an estimated cost of $24.8 million. This more expensive option required a 0.30% sales tax increase, a 4 mill property tax increase, and larger debt financing. Initial support for Option B’s measures was somewhat lower than Option A across all three components, though still showing majority support. The property tax increase for Option B received the weakest support, with the sales tax and debt financing measures performing similarly to each other.

Several messaging points tested positively with voters and increased their likelihood of supporting the ballot measures. The most effective message emphasized that the old pool had served generations of families and was now beyond repair, with the strong majority saying this made them more likely to vote yes. Information about the district being the lowest-funded recreation district in the region and the fact that the district had never increased its mill levy since 1965 both resonated strongly with voters and increased their likelihood of support.

Visual representations of the two pool options also garnered positive responses from voters. The outdoor pool rendering for Option A made a strong majority more likely to vote yes, while the indoor pool option for Option B received similarly positive but slightly lower support. Information about the four previous unsuccessful funding attempts also strengthened voter support for the measures. Throughout the survey, opposition to the various ballot measures remained relatively consistent in the minority, with undecided voters representing a small but potentially pivotal segment.

In open-ended responses, voters expressed several key themes including a preference for sales tax increases over property tax increases to distribute costs more broadly across users including tourists, support for a year-round indoor pool option for swim lessons and competitions, concerns about overall project costs and financial burden on residents particularly those on fixed incomes, emphasis on quality construction for longevity, desire for simple and affordable options focusing on essential needs rather than extravagant amenities, and recognition of the community’s need for recreational facilities particularly for children and families to enhance quality of life.