Grand Junction Voters Reject Pool Tax Increase
Issue 2B, a sales and use tax hike to fund Orchard Mesa Pool operations, failed by more than 3,000 votes.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in City Hall
Live Poll
Would you vote for a small sales tax increase to keep your local pool open?
Grand Junction voters rejected Issue 2B, which would have raised the sales and use tax from 3.39% to 3.46% to fund operations at the Orchard Mesa Pool. The measure failed 13,069 in favor to 16,327 against, and the city said it will not move forward with a tax-funded project.
Why it matters
The Orchard Mesa Pool, which has operated for 43 years, now faces possible closure because the funding source voters rejected was meant to keep it open. For Grand Junction residents, the outcome determines whether a local recreation facility remains available.
The official tally shows 13,069 votes in favor and 16,327 against Issue 2B, which would have raised the sales and use tax from 3.39% to 3.46%. The city has not yet said what alternative funding path, if any, will be pursued for the pool.
The players
Grand Junction City Government
The municipal government of Grand Junction, Colorado, which operates the Orchard Mesa Pool under its partnership with District 51 and placed the tax question before voters.
District 51
The Mesa County Valley School District 51, which owns the Orchard Mesa Pool and shares operating responsibility with the city.
The details
The pool is operated by the city under a partnership with District 51, which owns the facility, after Mesa County withdrew from the arrangement in 2024. The city and school district extended operations only through 2026, and officials have identified aging mechanical, HVAC, electrical and pool filtration systems as major infrastructure problems.
Timeline
1983: Three-way partnership among District 51, Mesa County and Grand Junction formed.
2024: Mesa County withdrew from the pool arrangement.
2026: City and school district operations extension ends.
November 2026: Voters rejected Issue 2B.
December 31, 2026: Earliest possible closing date, not confirmed.
Political Context
The 1983 three-way partnership among District 51, Mesa County and Grand Junction once shared the pool's costs, but Mesa County's 2024 withdrawal left the city and school district to carry them alone. Voters' rejection of Issue 2B means that remaining arrangement now lacks the revenue it needed to continue.
Residents who rely on the Orchard Mesa Pool should expect that its future depends on funding decisions still to come, with closure possible as early as December 31, 2026. The tax increase that would have helped keep it open was not approved, so no new sales tax will be applied to purchases from this measure.
The takeaway
Voter decisions on local tax measures directly shape which public facilities remain open, so residents who want to influence the pool's future should follow upcoming city and school district budget discussions.
Further reading
For more on local government decisions in the area, see City Hall coverage of Grand Junction.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mix 104.3 KMXY.
Live Poll
Would you vote for a small sales tax increase to keep your local pool open?
