From a Town of Oro Valley June 21 Press Release:
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At its June 20 meeting, Oro Valley Town Council approved an additional $1.55 million for the aquatic center expansion, bringing the project’s total budget to just over $5 million.
The original $3.45 million budget, which was approved December 7, 2011, was based on a feasibility study conducted in FY 2010-11. But as Town staff began the bid process and commenced planning, it became clear that $3.45 million would not be sufficient. A scaled-back version of the facility—one that had been value-engineered to fall within the original $3.45 million budget—would not meet the requirements to draw competition-level events, something the Town had seen as an investment in economic development. It would also lack many of the elements that would have made it a family-friendly destination.
However, with Council’s unanimous support of increasing project funding an additional $1.5 million, the Oro Valley Aquatic Center will rank among the best competition-level facilities in Arizona, and will become a highlight for community members of all ages.
“I commend our Council for remaining flexible and open-minded as we delved further into the project and realized there would be some unmet needs,” said Mayor Hiremath. “They understand the importance of constructing a high-quality facility without cutting corners that will ultimately hurt the community. They have shown tremendous support for this project and want to ensure that we deliver on the promises we’d made to our community.”
ORIGINAL $3.45 million budget funding sources
Excise Tax Revenue Bonds $2,550,000
Parks & Rec Impact Fees $400,000
Bed Tax $500,000
ADDITIONAL $1.55 million budget funding sources
Reallocated funding from Wal-Mart $250,000
Bed Tax Contingency Reserve $300,000
General Government Impact Fees $95,000
General Fund Contingency Reserves $524,000*
Council Designated Reserves $386,000
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3 comments:
I just wanted to express my thanks to the Oro Valley “Leadership” for showing their true colors. It is quite obvious that they are so much more willing to make investments in ‘things’ rather than in people. They are willing to spend an EXTRA 1.55MM on a swimming pool, but they can’t give the TOWN’s employees their hard earned, well deserved, long overdue, and promised raises! What a joke! It is clear that the town does not care to invest in their employees. The Mayor’s comment that he commends the Council for realizing there would be some “unmet needs” in regards to the swimming pool is a joke. How about the “unmet needs” of the employees who have worked for this town for years and have received nothing that the town promised them when they were hired (i.e. step increases, merit increases)? He is quoted as saying that they (the town management) will “deliver on the promises we’d made to our community” in reference to the swimming pool, but what about the promises made to the people that work for them? Offering the town employees a 2.5% COLA after 4-5 years of nothing is a slap in the face. The consumer price index (CPI) is currently around 230 and in June of 2008 (around the time that the town stopped increasing its employees pay) it was 219; therefore, the rate of inflation over this time period has been more than twice as large as the 2.5% COLA , meaning that OV employee’s buying power has decreased significantly as they have continued to work hard for this town… hopefully the Town Management would be so kind as to throw in a free swim pass for the town employees…
There is an article in today's Az Star about the funding for the pool.
This is hardly a very complex matter that needed additional funding. I wonder how much additional funding the town will need to support it's decision to take on a complex matter such as the health self-insurance program in upcoming years? Implementation of the self-insurance program is July 1st, and I'm sure it is all set up and ready to go.
Fear,
We have a posting tomorrow that will be about the pool. It will contain the entire 43-minute discussion at the Council meeting. I would urge you and all our bloggers to view it after you have read the posting.
In that article I also link to the Arizona Daily Star Report.
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