Grand Junction voters will decide in November whether to raise the city sales and use tax to help fund the Orchard Mesa Pool. The measure would increase the rate from 3.39% to 3.46%, with a partial reduction after repayment.
Grand Junction voters will decide this November whether to increase the city’s sales and use tax to help support the future of the Orchard Mesa Pool.
The Grand Junction City Council voted unanimously Wednesday, Aug. 19, to place the Orchard Mesa Pool measure on the November 2026 ballot. The proposal would increase the city sales and use tax rate from 3.39% to 3.46%.
The ballot question comes as city officials weigh the costs of maintaining and operating the longtime Orchard Mesa recreation facility and consider how it fits into Grand Junction’s broader recreation system.
If voters approve the measure, Grand Junction’s sales and use tax rate would rise to 3.46%.
According to the city, the additional revenue would provide funding connected to the continued operation and future needs of the Orchard Mesa Pool. Once the debt associated with the measure has been fully repaid, the city says the sales and use tax rate would be reduced by 0.04 percentage points.
That structure means the ballot question involves both funding for the pool and a longer-term decision about the city’s sales tax rate.
The city’s announcement did not provide additional details about the total amount of debt to be issued, the expected repayment period or a detailed breakdown of how the revenue would be spent.
City Council has been discussing the future of the Orchard Mesa Pool as Grand Junction prepares for changes to its recreation facilities.
Earlier this year, city staff presented council with several possible paths for the pool, including continuing city operations, closing the facility, seeking an outside partner or asking voters to create a special district to operate it. City documents also noted that an existing agreement involving the pool is scheduled to expire at the end of 2026.
The city also included a question about the Orchard Mesa Pool in its 2026 Community Satisfaction Survey. According to the city, the results favored placing a pool-related funding question on the ballot. That survey result was used as one factor in the council’s decision to send the issue to voters.
Wednesday’s council vote does not approve the tax increase itself. Instead, it places the proposal before Grand Junction voters for the November election.
Residents will ultimately decide whether to approve the sales and use tax change and provide the funding the city says is needed to support the Orchard Mesa Pool’s continued operation.
The full Aug. 19 City Council discussion and supporting meeting materials are available through the City of Grand Junction’s agendas and minutes system.
