Merriam voters will have the chance to determine whether the city moves forward with a 10-year, 1/4 percent sales tax that will allow it to issue $24 million in bonds that would be used to pay for a new community center and aquatics facility.
The city council’s vote Monday to approve the mail-in election is the culmination of more than a year of work by city staff and community members who vetted the viability of the city’s existing parks and recreation infrastructure and mapped out potential future demands for space and function. Earlier this month, City Administrator Chris Engel formally recommended that the council put a proposal to issue a 1/4 percent sales tax in the city for 10 years before Merriam voters, saying that it was the staff’s belief that building new facilities to replace the antiquated Irene B. French Community Center and aging Merriam Aquatic Center with a $30 million new facility would best serve the community in the coming decades and be most cost-effective in the long run.
In a statement released after Monday’s vote, Merriam Mayor Ken Sissom stressed that the idea of building new facilities was based on a long-term vision for the community.
“This isn’t something we are building for us, but for future generations,” Sissom said. “It’s about community building and a healthy place for families to interact and recreate together.”
Initial concepts for the new facility, which would be constructed on the site of the existing aquatic center and parts of the adjacent Varva Park, call for amenities identified by Merriam residents as priorities in a community survey: a fitness center, an indoor and outdoor jogging track, community meeting space, free WiFi. The facility would be around 66,000 square feet.
The Johnson County Election Office will send registered Merriam voters their ballots in late August. To be counted, completed ballots must be returned by noon on Friday, Sept. 15.
The city has launched a new website with a detailed overview of the proposal, the voting process, and construction costs associated with the new facilities. The site lays out what a yes and no vote on the measure mean:
A YES Vote Means:
- City will build a new $30 million community center at Vavra Park with indoor and outdoor pools
- $24 million will be paid in bonds; $6 million is already budgeted
- A new one-quarter percent sales tax will take effect for 10 years to help cover the bond payment
A NO Vote Means:
- City plans to repair/renovate the Irene B. French Community Center and Merriam Aquatic Center for an estimated $20 million
- City will likely use $10 million in bonds; remaining balance paid with CIP fund
- Absence of new revenue source (sales tax) means higher annual bond payment for City
- Still have 100+ year-old building that doesn’t meet our community’s needs
