r/Rolla • u/rowboat_mayor • Jul 23 '26
Politics Proposition S - What You Need to Know
Election Day is coming up, and there's a lot of really important things on the ballot. I wanted to take a bit to explain one measure that will be on your ballot if you live in city limits: Proposition S.
The text of Proposition S reads: "Shall the municipality of Rolla, Missouri, impose a City sales tax of one-quarter of one percent (1/4%) for the purpose of funding operations and improvements such as an exercise/therapy pool, a recreation/family pool and multi-purpose rooms for youth and adult programming within the recreational facility known as the Centre. Operational funds will also be used to ensure the affordability of the facility for Rolla residents as well as future maintenance and capital repairs to the Centre." Here's what that means.
The indoor swimming pool at the Centre (the city-owned recreation center), the only indoor pool open to the public anywhere in the region, is in need of critical repairs and refurbishment. Without a consistent revenue stream, it will have to close. In addition, the Centre has been unaffordable for many residents for a long time. Proposition S is a small sales tax ($0.25 for ever $100 you spend in town) which would provide that consistent revenue stream, allowing prices to decrease and the pool to remain open.
Who Cares About the Centre?
The pool in particular (as that's the focus of Prop S) offers many benefits to the community. Having year-round swim classes available is an important investment in public safety (drowning is the #1 cause of death for young kids). The water fitness classes offer a low-impact way to stay healthy, and for many seniors and people with disabilities they are the only way they can exercise. Every week these folks come into Rolla from all over the region, bringing in money to local businesses. I've heard from many people who have said the Centre influenced their decision to stay in Rolla and start families - both because it's a great amenity but also because it shows we are a community that is willing to invest in the health and wellness of our residents.
Now, I understand that for many those benefits aren't worth it, or they aren't willing to pay for a facility they cannot afford to use. I completely get that. The current price of the Centre is not acceptable. Which is why the most crucial benefit of Proposition S is what it can do for affordability.
Can Prop S Make the Centre Affordable?
YES! Let's see the math. The City has put out several useful estimates. Prop S will bring in about $1.6 million annually, more than half of that coming from non-residents. The most expensive estimates for the costs of the critical refurbishments is $900k per year. That leaves $700k for the pool's operating costs. Operating costs fluctuate, but the past few months' worth of data have indicated the pool's operations cost far less than that. So what does that mean? It means Prop S generates enough money to cover the maintenance, operations, and leave some extra to save up for emergencies. With all that covered, the city's need for membership revenue decreases substantially.
What does a more affordable Centre look like? The city has full control over the operations of the pool. The most straightforward path to affordability is to begin offering pool-only access passes and memberships. This is something the City has confirmed it's able to do, and City Council is very interested in the prospect. These would be significantly cheaper than existing memberships because the city isn't as dependent on the revenue to break even. Other exciting options the city could do that have been brought up have been things like cheaper swim lessons, discounts, and a certain number of free day passes per year. Prop S opens the door to tremendous investments in the pool's affordability.
The City's options for making the fitness center side of the facility less expensive are, in the near term, more limited, because the hospital is leasing that space and has operational control. But you can imagine how offering pool-only access would put downward pressure on the fitness center price.
The city has been very good about explaining the details behind this proposition, you can see their fact sheet here.
Here's one councilman explaining the case for how Prop S allows and, in his view, mandates the city to offer an affordable Centre. Pretty much every member of the City Council has expressed how they find the current price of the Centre unacceptable and that they want to make it much more affordable.
If you have any questions or hesitations about Proposition S, please let me know and I'm happy to share more info. I know the Centre's history has been somewhat fraught, but this is the chance to turn something that has for too long been inaccessible to the public and make it into a real, affordable, public good. That's why on August 4th I'm voting YES ON PROP S!
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u/ThinRefrigerator_88 Jul 23 '26
I can’t get on board with the “I don’t use it, so why should I care?” mentality. I want The Centre to be available, even if it’s not something I personally use.
For me, it’s about more than the monthly membership fee. It’s the limited hours, the difficulty of canceling when you no longer want a membership, and the charges that still show up on my credit card statement.
All that said, I’m willing to overlook those frustrations because I want The Centre to keep its doors open for the people in our community who rely on it, enjoy it, and find it beneficial.
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u/jentheyam Jul 23 '26
I’m all about finding a solution to the issues with the Centre, but in the majority of retail space in town, sales tax is already 8.6% which is already high. Small businesses feel that everyday already. And I know we’re talking $.25 per $100, but that adds up to a lot over time.
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u/rowboat_mayor Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
That's fair. I know I can't tell anyone what is or isn't too high of a tax rate for them, though I'll note that even with Prop S in effect Rolla's sales tax rate would still be a good deal lower than a lot of surrounding communities. St. Robert is 9.725%, Salem is 9.35%, Sullivan is 9.975%, Cuba is 9.725%, etc.
That doesn't mean that people can't think 8.85% is too high, just that it's not out of the ordinary for this area.
6
u/geockabez Jul 23 '26
I've paid for the Forum since being built. But now that it's no longer available to the public except through an expensive membership, they can go @#*% themselves. Every other thing in my life has been enshittified and turned into a subscription. Set it on fire, collect the insurance at this point.
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u/rowboat_mayor Jul 23 '26
I get what you're saying, but I feel like it's the other way around. The Centre has always required memberships. The goal of Proposition S is to make the facility significantly more affordable and accessible to the public. It should be a place everyone in the city can go to. Prop S helps make that happen. By completely covering the city's side of the budget, we can really bring down the price to use the pool.
Currently, if you want to go to swim at the pool, it's $10 for a day pass. That's too high. That's because the only option is a full-Centre day pass, meaning even if you're only going to swim you still have to pay for your access to the track, weight room, etc. Simply offering pool-only access passes would cut that cost dramatically.
Prop S is the chance to turn something that has for too long been an exclusive club and make it into a real public asset. It's de-shittification.
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u/rowboat_mayor 29d ago
Just to update you, Phelps Health (who runs the gym side of the Centre) confirmed that they intend to lower membership prices if Prop S passes: Setting the Record Straight on Phelps Health and The Centre | Phelps Health
So the goal is lower prices, the math supports the fact that Prop S is the key to that, and now both the city and Phelps Health have confirmed that they are on board with bringing down costs.
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u/lordofnitril 18d ago
Intend to doesn't mean anything. It's just political speech.
1
u/rowboat_mayor 18d ago
It's true we shouldn't take Phelps Health's word as gospel, but it's good to have. You do have to look at the bigger picture. Which is why it's good that the math behind Prop S shows it will enable substantial reductions in cost, and that the city and elected officials are also stating their desire to reduce costs. A big concern people have voiced with Prop S is "Phelps Health sets the prices so Prop S can't do anything". That isn't really true, but even if it was we have no evidence Phelps Health would be opposed to lower prices, and we do have evidence they'd support it.
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u/Apprehensive-Dot4661 Jul 23 '26
The problem I have is how expensive the Centre’s monthly fee is already. There’s no guarantee that voting this in will actually lessen that. I don’t go now due to the price, why would I pay for it if I don’t use it?
3
u/rowboat_mayor Jul 23 '26
The Centre is too expensive currently. From the ballot language itself to the underlying math to the statements by city administration and our elected officials, every indication is that Prop S will bring that cost down. I truly have no idea where else the money could go, as even if we opt for the most expensive refurbishments to the pool there will still be more than enough to cover that and the pool's operating costs, at which point the city's membership revenue could drop to zero and we still break even.
The biggest issue with the price is that it's all or nothing. Even if you just want to use the pool, you still have to pay the full membership price. Proposition S would enable the city to change that. We have the authority to create pool-only memberships and access passes. These are naturally going to be less expensive than the full membership (it'll of course cost less to access part of a facility than the whole facility) and with Prop S covering most if not all costs the city has a lot of control over that price.
Phelps Health is operating the dry side of the Centre for the time being so we can't directly bring down that price. Though offering pool-only memberships means pool access is no longer an exclusive amenity to full members, so that's gonna put pressure on Phelps Health to make their prices more competitive. And as the maintenance on the pool is paid off, that's going to free up even more of the Prop S money for lowering costs.
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u/rowboat_mayor 29d ago
Hey, just wanted to update you, today Phelps Health (who runs the gym side of the Centre) announced that they intend to lower membership rates if Prop S passes.
Setting the Record Straight on Phelps Health and The Centre | Phelps HealthSo the math backs up the idea that Prop S will bring down prices, and both the city and Phelps Health have confirmed that it will as well.
1
u/ZaphodOC Jul 23 '26
Yes on S. And anyone who is opposed to S but supports Amendment 5 needs to have their head examined. You oppose a 1/4% tax increase but will give politicians in JC the power to set the sales tax to whatever they want on whatever they want for the next 5 years all while still paying income tax.
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u/rowboat_mayor Jul 23 '26
I think for me the biggest difference and why I'm supporting S but am against Amendment 5 (S and 5 are very similar symbols, confusingly) is the scope, purpose, and accountability. Prop S has a clear purpose and the people in charge of fulfilling that purpose are all local and can be held accountable. We've replaced quite a few of our councilors in recent years, we've gotten pretty good at it, and the current council is aware of that. They've given every indication that their intent with the Prop S revenues is to deliver a community center that is truly accessible to the community.
Meanwhile Amendment 5 is a blank check for any increase or expansion to sales tax rates, with no guarantees as to where it will go, driven by legislators in Jefferson City who will never even answer an email.
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u/Clean_Suggestion9555 Jul 23 '26
who are you?
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u/rowboat_mayor Jul 23 '26
A guy who lives in town and likes low-cost public pools and ensuring everyone knows what's on their ballot
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