I would like to try to clarify some of the misconceptions in the recent articles regarding the proposed Fruita Community Recreation Center.

First, the claim it was going to increase property taxes was false.

It was proposed as 1-cent sales tax increase on each $1 of sales in Fruita, to exclude groceries and medicines. It would be utilized strictly for this center to pay the 30-year bond, and it would have allowed the bonds to be paid earlier if additional grants could be secured. Under the Sunshine Law, when this bond was paid, the tax would go down to 4/10 of a cent for maintenance only. This tax could not be transferred to other uses, only the recreation center.

The total sales tax in Fruita is currently is 6.9 percent, and it would have increased to 7.9 percent if this had passed. (Fruita’s portion would have risen from 2 cents to 3 cents on each dollar.)

Next, the argument that the cost to use the center would be $700 per person per year was also false.

The senior portion of the facility would have be totally free. This area includes a big room for various uses, with use of the kitchen and access to three meeting rooms. The three meeting rooms could have been rented to other groups.

The pool was scheduled to have three lap-lanes (possibly six lanes), a “lazy river” and a pool with depth variations, with various play features for use by kids, such as a climbing wall, large fun slide, etc.

Costs would have been set as either a day pass, family pass, a senior pass, a 20-punch pass, etc. We were not looking to be a for-profit business, but to break even for maintenance and budget for guards, etc. Fees proposed would be comparable to other community recreation centers in western Colorado.

YVONNE PETERSON, Member
Fruita Recreation Center Steering Committee
Fruita

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