WAUKEE, Iowa — A bond referendum that would fund most of a $35 million aquatic center in Waukee is making a splash as voters are split on whether to approve or deny it.
People who live within Waukee city limits will see the measure on the November ballot. In order for plans to move forward, the bond referendum would need 60% of voters to approve it.
The public pool would be Waukee’s first and would include one of the metro’s longest lazy rivers, a lap pool, slides and a splash pad.
However, the bond would raise taxes by about $34 per year per $100,000 home evaluation.
“We get requests from residents a lot wanting to know why we don't have an aquatic center,” City of Waukee spokesperson Heather Behrens said. “Our city council hears that and city staff do too. We set out to evaluate whether that would be a good fit.”
Some are excited about the prospect of having a place in Waukee to cool off on a hot summer day.
“A lot of these cornfields have turned into schools or little strip malls and things,” Nick Sawyers, who’s son lives in Waukee, said. “It is tough when it comes to water activities. There's not a whole lot. So I think having the pool would be nice.”
Others said they would like to see tax dollars go towards a facility that can be used year-round as the pool would only be open from Memorial Day until Labor Day.
“We live in Iowa, where the weather is super unpredictable,” Waukee resident Adina Ikeljic said. “It would be a lot of money to invest into something that we can only use for a couple months out of the year.”
It's ultimately up to Waukee voters to decide the fate of it, but the city says its aquatic center was designed with Iowa's fastest growing city in mind.
“This is a multi-year project that was kind of factored into the size of how it could serve our community today, but also leave room to serve the community in the future,” Behrens said.
If approved by voters, construction would begin next fall and the pool would open summer 2027.