The smallest of the bond measures on this year’s ballot is a $2.2 million bond aimed at improving park facilities across Bozeman.
“It's facilities that have been loved for generations and the City of Bozeman says it's time to upgrade these in order to keep using them for the future generations,” says Mitch Overton, Bozeman Director of Parks and Recreation.
These investments which the City Of Bozeman says are critical in order to keep the Swim Center, Bogert Pool, and the Lindley Center open to the public.
“My concern becomes more and more closures at our facilities,” says Overton.
A bond measure on the November ballot aims to fix critical infrastructure like the air ventilation and pool filtration systems which they say is needed for functionality of the building, but also for the safety of the public.
If the $ 2.2 million bond passes the officials hope to to spend $600,000 renovating the Bogert Pool, $1.1 million on the Swim Center and $500,000 to replace the Lindley Center.
The math on the $2.2 million dollar bond could equate to about a $6.83 increase per year on property taxes on a home with an assessed median value of $364,000.
Officials say the time has passed, the time to work on these projects are long overdue before the community feels a negative impact like intermittent closures.
“With the growth of the community, the impact to parks and recreation systems has been significant. The need and the use in our community for facilities like this has only become more critical,” says Overton.
Overton hopes, if this bond does pass, that construction could begin as early as this summer at Lindley Center, and some projects at the Swim Center and Bogert Pool as early as this Winter and following Summer 2022 swim season.
Bozeman voters should expect to start seeing ballots arriving in the mail by Oct.13.
