The Litchfield area is a thriving community, and visitors come from around the region for work, play, dining and shopping. For years, leaders at the city and school district have heard interest from community members in a wellness or community center. The two governments worked together to develop a plan to meet this need and it is now up to voters to decide whether to move forward.
On Tuesday, Nov. 8, Litchfield area voters will consider two separate ballot questions to fund an area recreation and wellness facility. Voters in the Litchfield Public School District will consider a bond referendum and voters in the City of Litchfield will consider a sales tax referendum. Voters that live within the city boundaries will consider both questions.
This is a unique partnership. Not many other school districts and cities have partnered on projects like this before, and this partnership displays our community’s special ability to come together on important community initiatives. This partnership has been years in the making.
In 2016, the City of Litchfield began exploring the possibility of creating a sports and aquatics center after hearing community interest. However, they realized that they needed a partner to make it a viable project.
Litchfield Public Schools proposed a bond referendum question in 2019 that would have addressed a pool facility. However, this question lost by about 400 votes.
Community leaders heard from residents that a wellness center was still important, but that the plan would work better as a joint effort. Since then, we have worked together to develop a plan. School districts and cities are allowed to fund construction projects using different methods, so each question uses a different regional tax method.
To fund its portion of the project, the school district is requesting voter approval to sell $13.5 million in bonds. This funding would build an eight-lane competition pool facility, locker rooms, office and community spaces and various site improvements like parking lots, land development work (surveying, soil testing, etc.) tennis courts and baseball fields.
Currently, the pool is five lanes and does not allow the district to hold sectional meets or multiple events at the same time. The viewing areas are not handicap accessible, and the locker room facilities are outdated. The existing facility’s infrastructure is aging and will require more maintenance over time.
If the school district’s portion of the project is approved by voters, the owner of a residential home with a median value of $170,000 would see an estimated $6.84 per month tax impact, beginning in 2023. The State of Minnesota’s 70% Ag2School tax credit would be applied to agricultural land. The funding would pay for approximately 17% of the project's total cost.
To help fund its portion, the City of Litchfield is proposing a one-half of one percent sales tax. The tax would be paid by anyone shopping in Litchfield - locals and visitors alike. Using this funding method, an estimated 40% of revenue raised would be from visitors to the city. The city has also secured at least $5 million in bonding funds from the State of Minnesota for the project.
The city’s portion of the facility would include a four-station multi-purpose fieldhouse, an elevated walking track, community rooms, family changing rooms, fitness space and additional support space.
This facility will be a truly multi-purpose space intended for use by a wide variety of community members both during the day and evenings. The school district will not have sole use of the facility during school hours. The space was planned with flexibility in mind, and would be able to host a wide variety of activities for all ages, including basketball, tennis, pickleball, community gatherings, trade shows and other activities. It is versatile enough to host a variety of activities that are currently popular, as well as activities that may become popular in the years to come.
The Litchfield Area Recreation Center would be a community resource, and whether to move forward is a community decision. I encourage residents to visit LiveWellLitchfieldArea.org to learn more about the plan. You can contact me at (320) 894-4098 or via email at bsimenson@isd465.org. You can reach Dave Cziok, the city administrator, at (320) 693-7201x1011 or dave.cziok@ci.litchfield.mn.us.
Litchfield Public Schools superintendent
