According to the Roanoke Times there is another hold up on the town's newest recreational facility: "This latest delay marks the fourth for the project since an opening was planned for Jan. 1 of this year. The last completion date had been January of next year. Officials have said design changes and the installation of equipment have contributed to the delays."
Uh, actually, the facility began as a gleam in someone's eye more than a decade ago (Parks & Recreation Master Plan 1995-2005). Somewhere around 2002 it shifted from the desire for a community pool to an aquatic center.
That's when the price tag went from about $5 million to $14 million. Today the total costs are stated to be just under $18 million, not counting the land the town already owned. No Council votes were recorded for any of this, just something done for the good of all town taxpayers.
Then in August 2005 the construction begin date was reported for the end of that calendar year and the town's web site declared a 2007 opening. The newest newspaper article tells us construction did not really begin until "late 2007". Uh, really?
Seems Council now has some help with rewriting history, and facts. That might help confuse public perceptions, especially when it's time for re-election. Anyone who was involved has some explaining to do, yet citizens should be cheering the aquatic center's staff on to success. Otherwise, no matter how it is packaged, the reason your town real property tax tickets spike will trace right back to this process.