Supporters of the Orchard Mesa Pool rallied Saturday, September 12, at the lawn south of Las Colonias Butterfly Pond, filling the area with pool noodles, miniature flamingo floaties, and yard signs. The event, dubbed a “Yes Rally” by organizers from the Save Orchard Mesa Pool Committee, aimed to build support for Ballot Measure 2B.
The ballot measure asks Grand Junction residents to consider raising the sales tax to cover $12 million needed for pool repairs and to support its ongoing operations. Beyond offerings of free ice cream, popsicles, a prize raffle, and yard games, attendees spent the two-hour event discussing why voters should approve the November initiative.
Twelve-year-old Alex Lyon, a member of the Save Orchard Mesa Pool Committee since 2023, expressed the importance of having a safe community pool for himself and his friends, noting he has held several birthday parties there. Committee member Rhonda Bates highlighted that Orchard Mesa has only three amenities — Eagle Rim Park, Duckpond Park, and the pool — compared to the city’s 42 parks. Bates noted the proposed tax amounts to $0.07 per $100 spent.
Efforts to preserve and repair the pool at 2736 Unaweep Ave. have spanned the last six years, spearheaded by the Save Orchard Mesa Pool Committee. According to committee member Mariann Taigman, concerns first arose when it became clear the pool’s three original stakeholders — Mesa County, the City of Grand Junction, and Mesa County Valley School District 51 — were no longer interested in maintaining the facility. The committee’s advocacy eventually led to a contract between the City and District 51 to keep the pool operating until the end of 2026, or until the new community recreation center opens, which is slated for September 25.
Taigman stated that City Council was willing to place the question on the ballot, and emphasized the need to educate people about the measure, as many residents are unaware of the details or assume the pool has closed or will remain open. She clarified that the funds requested are strictly for critical infrastructure replacements, such as the HVAC and filtration systems, rather than for the “bells and whistles” expected at the new Grand Junction Community Recreation Center (CRC). Taigman also noted that the sales tax would reduce to about $0.03 per $100 after the bond covering repair costs is paid.
Grand Junction City Council Member Scott Beilfuss, speaking as a citizen, attended and stated that it is significantly cheaper to be proactive and fix the pool now than to demolish it and rebuild a similar resource later. Beilfuss asked, “For $12 million, we can fix up an asset that we already have. Why doesn’t that make sense to everyone?”
Taigman added that the Orchard Mesa Pool serves residents from Glade Park, Palisade, and Fruita, not only the Orchard Mesa community of less than 7,000. She noted that Orchard Mesa residents are content to pay taxes for facilities like the CRC on the city’s northern side, even if they do not plan to use it. The CRC’s construction costs of about $82.1 million were funded by a 0.14% sales tax increase and cannabis tax money.
Rally attendee Scott Ryder described the Orchard Mesa Pool as a “marvelous and incredible resource” since he moved to the area seven years ago. He cited obvious access concerns for Orchard Mesa residents if the CRC were the only alternative, and added that Orchard Mesa is an “under-served area” where resources should be spread throughout the community.
