Elgin Swimming Pool Bond Passes With 94 Percent In Favor

The $1.3 million renovation plan for Elgin's swimming pool made quite a splash with residents as 94 percent voted in favor of the bond.

Results of Tuesday's special election show 167 ballots were cast in favor of the project and just nine against, allowing the City of Elgin to borrow no more than $500,000 for the project.  

A third of the funds needed for the project have already been donated. The city will use municipal bonds for the second third and are asking the community to help raise the final third.

Pool board member Bethany Miller told the Antelope County News at the courthouse Tuesday night that she was elated by the results that showed "unanimous support" for the project.

"It's significant to have just nine against votes," she said. "The community wholeheartedly supports this project."

​Miller said she thought going into special election that the community was in favor of the renovations.

 "It took a lot of footwork. We all canvased, promoted the project and explained it very well. That was the difference," Miller said.

Plans to renovate the pool have been discussed for more than a year. Renovations are expected to cost approximately $1.3 million. The city plans to begin renovations on the pool in August 2016 and be open by summer 2017. 

The question on the ballot read: “Shall the City of Elgin, Nebraska, borrow money and pledge the property and credit of the City upon its negotiable bonds in the principal amount of not to exceed Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) for the purpose of paying the costs of improvements required for the renovation of the existing swimming pool of the City of Elgin, Nebraska; said bonds to be dated and become due and payable, both principal and interest, on such date or dates as may be fixed by the Mayor and Council of the City at the time of their issuance and to bear interest at such rate or rates as shall be determined by the Mayor and Council of the City of Elgin; and shall the City cause to be levied and collected annually, if needed, a special levy of taxes on the taxable value of all the taxable property in the City, in addition to available sales taxes and all other taxes, in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on said bonds as such principal and interest become due?”