Special finance committee approves emergency legislation to put pool-and-park levy on November ballot

The Special Finance Committee voted to approve emergency legislation requesting placement of a four-year pool-and-park levy on the November ballot to pay for pool repairs, free pool admission and maintenance of city-owned parks.

The motion, which a committee member identified on the record as a request for a four-year levy at a fractional rate, was moved by Ray and seconded by Spiegel. The clerk recorded the vote as Ray: yes; Spiegel: yes; and the chair: yes. The committee said the measure will appear on the November ballot.

Why it matters: Committee members said the levy is intended to pay for recurring pool operating costs and park upkeep so that the general fund can be used for other priorities such as emergency vehicles. Committee members cited specific projects they expect levy revenue to cover, including repairs to the main pool, fixing the baby pool and maintenance of park shelters and buildings.

What the legislation would cover: The committee agreed the ballot language should identify an introductory phrase such as "city-owned parks" and list the following parks behind that phrase to ensure those properties are explicitly eligible: All Miller Park, Lions Park (referred to also as Lionsfield in the discussion), Picking Park, Harmon/Harman Park, and a site variously named in the transcript as "Shines Park" or "Shrine Park." Participants instructed staff to confirm city ownership of any park listed before finalizing ballot language.

Budget and program details cited at the meeting: Committee members gave several specific budget figures during discussion. The transcript records an estimated annual levy revenue of about $350,000, broken out as roughly $200,000 for park maintenance and $130,000 for pools, leaving about $20,000 for additional upkeep. A baby-pool pump was cited as an immediate need and was estimated in the discussion at about $10,000. Speakers also offered illustrative taxpayer-impact figures: one exchange said a household with $34,000 annual income would pay about $2.88 per month and a $50,000 household about $4.17 per month.

Ownership limits on projects: The committee discussed the splash pad separately and noted that the splash pad is currently not city-owned; committee members said upgrades such as installing a recirculating pump would be eligible only if ownership were transferred to the city. The transcript records that a private party (named in the transcript as "Kuanas") had previously paid for underground plumbing repairs; the committee agreed any upgrade language should be contingent on ownership transfer.

Rate inconsistency noted on the record: The transcript contains inconsistent references to the levy rate. In several places participants described the rate as 0.1% (written in the discussion as "0.1%" or ".1%"), while one subsequent repetition of the motion contains "1%" in the verbatim exchange. The committee did not record a final, confirmed numeric rate during the meeting; city staff will need to confirm the precise rate to be placed on the ballot.

Next steps: Committee members asked staff to prepare precise emergency-legislation language that references "city-owned parks" and lists the parks discussed, and to confirm ownership and final levy rate before filing. The committee indicated the measure will go on the November ballot. The meeting adjourned at approximately 3:18 p.m.

Sources: Special Finance Committee meeting transcript, June 25, 2026. Quotes and figures are taken from remarks recorded in the meeting transcript; in instances where the transcript uses inconsistent wording (park names or numeric rate), the article notes those inconsistencies and indicates that staff confirmation is required.