Othello voters considering $3.55M pool bond

OTHELLO — Othello voters will be asked to accept or reject a $3.55 million bond to pay for repairs to the Othello Community Pool, and renovations where needed. Othello City Council members voted in July to submit the proposal to voters, and Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said the money will pay for repairs, but few, if any, changes. 

“It’ll make some minor upgrades and refresh (the facility). But you’re going to essentially have the same pool, only it’ll be working properly,” Logan said. “You shouldn’t have the problems that we had before.” 

Ballots are due by Nov. 4. The pool was closed in spring 2024 after city employees discovered serious damage to its structure; it stayed closed in 2025. If the bond is approved, the money would be used to replace the pool’s piping, ensure the ground below the pool is properly repaired and prepared, repair and upgrade the electrical and mechanical systems where needed. The money also would pay for repairs to the pool deck and the wall at the pool’s deep end that started to buckle. If it’s approved, property owners would pay an estimated 17 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. 

The owner of property assessed at $250,000 would pay $42.50 per yar in taxes, while a property owner whose land is assessed at $350,000 would pay $59.50 per year. 

Logan said city officials hope to have the pool back in operation by summer 2026, but the timeline will depend on the amount of work that needs to be done. 

“The goal was always (opening in 2026), but we don’t know whether we can meet the goal,” Logan said.  

The pool opened in 2007, built with a bond approved by residents of the Othello Parks and Recreation District, which has since become inactive. That bond will be paid off by the end of 2025. Logan said the 2024 investigation determined that pipes were incorrectly installed, which caused them to break and leak. Construction was done under a tight timeline, Logan said, which contributed to subpar work. 

“When they did this in 2007, there was a lot of pressure to get that pool open, and shortcuts were made,” Logan said. “This is the result of that. There was just too big a hurry to get something done.” 

As a result, city officials want to ensure the repairs are properly completed.  

“The idea is, let’s not make the same mistake twice. Too much money is involved,” Logan said. 

The bond has a 20-year payback provision. 

If the bond is rejected, city officials will start with a new public process, Logan said. 

"We’ll go back to our community process and find out why it didn’t pass. And what the community will pass,” Logan said. “What is it they want to see in their pool in order to vote for a new levy?”