Silver Lake Pool upgrades may result in a tax levy increase

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Soon, $5 million in funding will give Silver Lake Park a brand new pool, bath house, and splash pad.

The question at Monday’s Rochester City Council study session was how the city would pull this $5 million together.

The council received three options Monday on how to fund this project:

Option 1: Use $1.8 million left over from past sales tax revenue and take the other $3.2 million from a .5% tax levy increase over the next eight years.

Option 2: Use $1.8 million left over from past sales tax revenue and take the other $3.2 million from other city projects.

Option 3: Obtain all $5 million from a .5% tax levy increase over the course of at least 13 years.

“The Council did previously have planned spending of approximately eight percent levy increase in our long-range financial forecast,” said Deputy City Administrator Aaron Parrish.

Most of the Council preferred option one, but some were still concerned that the money being spent is not being prioritized properly.

“I think it’s important that our pools add value to the general public and how they want to use them,” said City Councilmember Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick. “But there’s also, what else a pool can do for a community?”

If the council moves forward with option one, it’s likely residents will see a tax levy increase in the near future.

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