The Erie Town Council is considering two tax measures that could appear on this year\u2019s ballot.<\/p>\n
A survey will ask residents about one of those potential measures, a tax increase to pay for a possible expansion and renovation of the current Erie Community Center at 450 Powers St. A proposed new lodging tax that would impact any future hotels in Erie could also go to voters in November.<\/p>\n
During its Jan. 20 study session meeting, the Town Council gave direction to town staff to work with the company Polco to create a survey, which could focus on whether residents would support a tax to fund the community center project, along with questions about other details that \u201cmight sway them one way or the other,\u201d said town spokesperson Gabi Rae.<\/p>\n
The Erie Community Center, which opened in 2008, is 54,000 square feet and includes fitness programming, a gym equipped for basketball and volleyball, an indoor pool, meeting rooms and other amenities, according to the town.<\/p>\n
Whether the project\u00a0should be funded with\u00a0sales tax or property tax could be among the questions included in the survey, which could go out to residents as early as March, according to Rae.<\/p>\n
If survey results show a lack of broad support for a tax increase to fund the community center project, the town will do \u201ca lot more education and outreach with the public, update our possible ballot question, and then survey again in the summer,\u201d Rae said. If results do show broad support for a tax, the town would continue education efforts and have the council approve official ballot language in August.<\/p>\n
The council heard a presentation on the conceptual phase of the project during its Jan. 20 meeting. Staff presented two options, the first a \u201ctargeted\u201d expansion and renovation project that would add about 6,000 square feet to the facility, estimated to cost about $14.5 million. A second, more extensive option would be a larger expansion of the building, including the work from the first option but adding an estimated $12.5 million and about 10,000 square feet to the project, according to staff\u2019s presentation.<\/p>\n
Town staff will work with Polco to find out whether residents would be willing to fund the full $27 million price tag tied to that second option, according to Rae.<\/p>\n
The actual amount of a tax increase to fund the project has not yet been determined, but the town\u2019s finance team is \u201cfinalizing that,\u201d she added in late January.<\/p>\n
A community gathering place<\/p>\n
Erie Mayor Andrew Moore said the community center is an important, community-focused project following recent municipal projects such as the completed Town Hall<\/a> and ongoing police department<\/a> expansions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to me that we just don\u2019t build more government but build and support the community gathering places as well,\u201d Moore said days after the Jan. 20 meeting.<\/p>\n