High River council's decided to go the referendum route when it comes to an expansion of the swimming pool at the Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex.

Mayor Craig Snodgrass says it could come with a price tag of about $15-million.

"This pool, well really we started talking about it just before the last election (in 2017), it was something that's very important to all of us on council but at the same time these are big numbers for recreation facilities so this is just the kind of decision that's a pretty big 'want' for the community, $15 million project for this pool expansion so what we had staff do was get a proper budget and drill down to what it's going to cost individual taxpayers so they can see it right in their hand that 'this is what I'm going to be shelling out every month or every year."

Construction costs would mean an average tax hit of $130 per year for each property owner and operational costs would add another $160 per year for a total of about $290 a year on each property or about $24.00 a month. over 25 years.

These are all just estimates at this point and could change.

Mayor Snodgrass's one concern is getting the information out since it's still difficult to hold open houses.

"That's the other thing we've done is asked administration to give us some kind of plan as to how we can do open houses and we'll see what that looks like because this isn't the type of project you want to go into with only half your community informed as to what's going on," he says.

The expansion would include a leisure pool with level entry, spray park type components, waterslide, new hot tub, sauna and family change rooms.

It would be done on the west side of the building beside the current pool site.

The referendum would be held in conjunction with the municipal election in October.

 

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