Grant fine print saves Cortez pool for 2027
The city took $700,000 from Great Outdoors Colorado in 2010 and agreed to run the pool for 25 years. It says that agreement wasn't in its files. The money problems that put the pool on the chopping block haven't changed.
Cortez will open its outdoor pool next summer after all — not because the city’s money picture changed, but because of a promise the city made to the state 16 years ago.
The City of Cortez said Thursday it “is in the process of updating its FY2027 proposed budget to fund the Cortez Municipal Pool for the 2027 season,” two days after it announced the pool would stay closed next summer. “The City is still working out the details of how to pay for it, but the pool will open in 2027,” the city said in a news release.
The city’s full news release is printed at the end of this story.
In 2010 the city received a one-time $700,000 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, the state’s lottery-funded outdoor recreation program. The grant paid the largest share of a $1,073,220 renovation that added the pool’s splash pad, replaced its bathhouse and repaired the deck and fencing. To get the money, the release says, the city agreed to maintain and operate the pool for “a period of 25 years from the date of completion of the project or the useful life of the project.”
“The City of Cortez received information from the ongoing public dialogue that was not in our files, but was investigated and determined to be valid,” the release says. “The City intends to honor its commitment.”
The release does not say who raised the grant, but residents had been asking about it online. On Tuesday or Wednesday, Rhonda Allmon commented on a pool post by the Facebook page Bonnie Anderson Keeping MC Informed & Engaged, asking what had happened to “the 700,000 grant to repair the pool in 2010” and why the city couldn’t use Great Outdoors Colorado money for repairs. Her comment matches the grant’s amount and year, though it does not mention the 25-year commitment. In the post Allmon was responding to, Anderson wrote that she had called Parks and Recreation Director Creighton Wright about the pool and that he sent her the city’s news release. How the grant information reached the city is not clear; the release does not say.
The grant is the only reason the city gives for the change. “That is good news, but the City is not out of the woods,” the release says. The city still expects revenue to fall by $539,291 next year, mostly because money the state shares with cities is shrinking. Running the pool for a season still costs an estimated $477,000 against about $86,000 in fees, leaving $391,000 for the city to cover.
Where the money would come from
The city says it is still working out how to pay for the season. Most of the money would likely come from three places, according to the release:
- Putting off maintenance on city buildings. Some planned repairs and upkeep would wait at least a year. Those repairs “will still need to be paid for in the future, and will likely cost taxpayers more by deferring them,” the city says.
- Running the pool for less. “This will likely include reduced operating hours and increased fees to help close the funding gap.”
- Possible cuts to city staff pay. “This is still under consideration, but may be necessary to help close the funding gap.”
“These are one-year solutions, not a permanent fix,” the release says. Fees will go up, but the city says fee increases alone can’t close the gap; covering the pool’s full cost would mean raising them more than fivefold. The Parks and Recreation Department is still working out what the 2027 season will look like.
The longer question
The grant agreement may not settle the pool’s future. Counted from the renovation’s completion, 25 years would run to 2035 or later. But the agreement also ties the commitment to “the useful life of the project,” and the city’s release adds: “However, without significant renovations, which the City cannot currently fund, the pool is nearing the end of its useful life.” The release does not say how the city reads those two terms or what it believes happens when the pool’s useful life ends.
The pool is about 70 years old. It leaks thousands of gallons of treated water a day — roughly 570,000 to 840,000 gallons over a season — and the city says new leaks keep appearing as the aging structure shifts. A long-term fix would cost about $1.5 million, nearly four years of the pool’s net operating cost.
“Keeping the pool open in 2027 buys time, but it does not answer the bigger questions the community will need to face together,” the release says. The city says the pool’s future will be taken up in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and Parks and Recreation Director Creighton Wright expects long-term funding to be the biggest issue in that plan.
The petition
The proposed closure drew fast opposition. A Change.org petition, “Save the Cortez Outdoor Pool!”, started Tuesday by Sarah Brock, head coach of the Cortez Water Dragons summer swim team, had 1,632 verified signatures by 3:20 p.m. Thursday, up from 701 on Tuesday afternoon. It asks the City Council and city administration for transparency, public input and a fair chance to save the pool. In an update to signers Wednesday, Brock urged them to attend the budget forum and the council’s budget hearing. Residents in local Facebook groups had also urged people to fill the council chambers.
Budget dates have changed
The city has also moved its budget schedule. All meetings are in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 123 Roger Smith Ave.
- Budget forum: 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. It will include an introductory presentation on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
- First reading of the budget ordinance: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10. It had been set for Oct. 27.
- Second reading and public hearing: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24. The hearing had been set for Nov. 10.
The city’s full news release
Emailed to the Cortez Current by City of Cortez Public Information Officer Kelly Codner on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 22, and printed as the city wrote it.
October 22, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Drew C. Sanders
City Manager
123 Roger Smith Ave
Cortez, CO 81321
970-565-3402
dsanders@cortezco.gov
Cortez, CO - The Cortez Municipal Pool in 2027: Open This Summer, With Tough Choices Ahead
Modification to the City of Cortez Budget Proposal
The City of Cortez is in the process of updating its FY2027 proposed budget to fund the Cortez Municipal Pool for the 2027 season. The City is still working out the details of how to pay for it, but the pool will open in 2027.
That is good news, but the City is not out of the woods. Revenue is still expected to decrease by $539,291 in 2027, the pool costs an estimated $391,000 – more than it brings in – and it needs major repairs. Tough decisions about the pool and the parks system are still ahead, and we need your voice in making them.
Why the Change?
The City of Cortez received information from the ongoing public dialogue that was not in our files, but was investigated and determined to be valid. In 2010 the City of Cortez received a one-time grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) in the amount of $700,000 that was the largest share of a $1,073,220 renovation project at the Cortez Municipal Pool. The renovation project installed a splash pad, replaced the bath house, and made various repairs to the deck and fencing. To receive this grant, the City of Cortez agreed to maintain and operate the pool for “a period of 25 years from the date of completion of the project or the useful life of the project”. The City intends to honor its commitment. However, without significant renovations, which the City cannot currently fund, the pool is nearing the end of its useful life.
How the City plans to pay for operation in 2027
The details are still being worked out, but most of the money will likely come from three places:
- Deferring planned maintenance on public buildings. Some planned repairs and upkeep on City buildings would be put off for at least a year. These repairs will still need to be paid for in the future, and will likely cost taxpayers more by deferring them.
- Changes to how the pool operates. The City is developing ways to run the pool for less in 2027. This will likely include reduced operating hours and increased fees to help close the funding gap.
- Possible cuts to staff compensation. This is still under consideration, but may be necessary to help close the funding gap.
Each of these has a cost. Putting off building maintenance most often results in increased future repair costs, and asking more of City staff is not a long-term solution. These are one-year solutions, not a permanent fix.
Why we are not out of the woods
Opening the pool in 2027 does not change the challenges behind this year’s budget. The City still faces falling state shared revenue and rising costs across the board, and the pool itself remains costly to run and in need of major repairs.
The facility is showing its age:
- It is about 70 years old. Built in the 1950s, it needs costly short-term repairs each year just to open.
- It leaks thousands of gallons of water a day. Over a season, that adds up to roughly 570,000 to 840,000 gallons of treated water. The City has repaired leaks over the years, but new ones keep appearing as the aging structure shifts.
- A long-term fix costs about $1.5 million. That is nearly four years of the pool’s net operating cost.
Tough decisions still ahead
Keeping the pool open in 2027 buys time, but it does not answer the bigger questions the community will need to face together:
- The outdoor pool’s future. Should Cortez invest about $1.5 million to renovate it (and if so, how would it be paid for), find a different way to fund it, or consider other options?
- Funding for the whole parks system. Parks and Recreation Director Creighton Wright expects long-term funding to be the biggest issue in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
- What residents value most. With limited dollars, choices about one park or program affect others.
These decisions will need to be made with the community, not for it. That is why your input during the next few weeks and months matters so much.
Make your voice heard
We strongly urge residents to join us at the Budget Forum on October 28, which will also include an introductory presentation about the upcoming Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
Please note that the budget schedule has changed:
- Wednesday, Oct 28, 2026 · Budget Forum: learn about the budget and share your views · Council Chambers at City Hall 6-7:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov 10, 2026 · City Council first reading of the budget ordinance · Council Chambers at City Hall 7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov 24, 2026 · City Council second reading and public hearing · Council Chambers at City Hall 7:30pm
Questions residents are asking
Is the outdoor pool open in 2027? Yes. The proposed budget no longer pauses the outdoor pool for the 2027 season.
Does that mean the pool is safe long term? No. The pool still costs far more than it earns, leaks thousands of gallons a day, and needs an estimated $1.5 million renovation. Its long-term future will be discussed through the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
Where is the money coming from? The City is still working out the details. Most of the funding will likely come from pausing deferred maintenance on public buildings, changing how the pool operates, and possibly cutting staff compensation.
Will the pool season look different? Most likely, but details are still being worked out by the Parks and Recreation Department.
Why not just raise pool fees? Fees will go up, but fee increases alone can’t close the gap. Any fee increases still need to be fair and reasonable for residents and visitors. Fees are expected to cover only $86,000 of the pool’s $477,000 cost, about 18%. Covering the full cost would mean raising fees more than fivefold, pricing many families out of the community pool.
How can I help shape the pool’s future? Come to the Budget Forum on October 28, participate in the City Council Public Hearing on the budget on November 24, and join the Parks and Recreation Master Plan process.
Sources: City of Cortez news release, “The Cortez Municipal Pool in 2027: Open This Summer, With Tough Choices Ahead,” Oct. 22, 2026 · City of Cortez news release, “Pausing the Cortez Outdoor Pool in 2027: What It Means and What Comes Next,” Oct. 20, 2026 (PDF) · Change.org, “Save the Cortez Outdoor Pool!” and Sarah Brock’s update, Oct. 21 · Rhonda Allmon’s comment on a post by Bonnie Anderson Keeping MC Informed & Engaged (Facebook), October 2026 · City of Cortez, Municipal Outdoor Pool (photo)