Erie Is Paying Off Its Community Center Just as the Building Fills Up

For years, Erie property tax bills have included a line for the Erie Community Center Construction Bond. In 2025 it was 1.791 mills, part of a Town levy of 13.382 mills. Colorado Hometown Weekly reported in October that the bond was expected to be paid off this year. In the Nov. 3 election, voters turned down the sales tax that would have paid to expand the 2008 building.

That leaves a town of about 42,000 people using a building that opened in 2008, with no plan or money to make it bigger. If you're comparing Erie with other Front Range towns, the community center's cost on your tax bill is going down. Getting into its programs is harder, and the best tool for that is a calendar: residents get to register first.

The line on the tax bill

Here is the Town's own breakdown of its share of a property tax bill, as published on its Local Government 101 page:

In 2025, the community center bond was a little more than an eighth of the Town's levy. The Town's line is also only one part of the bill. The same page notes that school districts, metro districts, the county and others each take their own share.

When you look at an Erie home's tax history, keep in mind that it reflects a debt now reaching its end. When a retired bond levy actually disappears from a given parcel's bill is a question for the county treasurer. This post is general information, not tax or financial advice, so confirm your own numbers with the county or a tax professional.

What Ballot Issue 3F would have put in its place

Town Council sent the community center question to voters on Aug. 11, 2026. The measure would have moved the building's funding from property tax to sales tax:

• A 0.501% increase in the Town's sales and use tax, starting Jan. 1, 2027
• Up to $32.5 million in new debt, with total repayment capped at $52.6 million
• Up to $4,866,857 in new tax revenue in the first full fiscal year
• New fitness studios, a new gymnasium and racquetball courts, expanded multipurpose space, and new strength and circuit training areas

Colorado Hometown Weekly's ballot explainer noted that the tax would have stayed in place after the debt was paid, funding ongoing operations and maintenance. According to the outlet, opponents questioned the added sales tax, the project's total cost, long-term operating costs, and whether other town infrastructure should come first.

Unofficial results reported by Colorado Hometown Weekly showed 42% for 3F and 58% against as of the afternoon of Nov. 4. On the same ballot, Issue 3E, a lodging tax on future hotels and short-term rentals of 30 days or less, had 60% support.

A 2008 building serving a town that nearly doubled

How tight the building is matters more than the vote itself. Erie grew from about 22,400 residents to 42,000 between 2016 and 2025, according to Colorado Hometown Weekly. The Town's community center project page shows how much more the building is being used:

1. Annual visits went from 158,000 in 2008 to 225,000 in 2025.
2. Program participation more than doubled over the same period, from 44,000 to 98,000.
3. The building averages 800 visitors a day, with peaks of 1,100.
4. Nearly 1,500 people were put on program waitlists in 2025.

Program participation grew much faster than total visits. That pattern fits the Town's description of where the pressure falls: preschool, youth and adult programs, group fitness and gym time, which are all scheduled activities with a fixed number of spots. On a busy day, a drop-in visitor may just wait for a machine. A family that misses a swim lesson or youth class ends up on a waitlist.

The site also limits what can be added. The Town's late-2025 Pre-Design Study notes that the center sits on ground studied for coal mining stability and that parking and circulation are key to how it works long term.

Why more space isn't coming soon

Without new tax revenue, an expansion would have to come out of the budget Erie already has, and that budget is getting tighter. From 2016 to 2025, Town spending grew an average of 14.3% a year while sales tax revenue grew 11.6%. Sales tax growth has since fallen below 2% a year. For 2027, departments were asked to cut proposed General Fund operating budgets by about 8%, and the capital improvement fund is forecast to start going negative in 2028.

Finance Director Sara Sands described the slowdown to Colorado Hometown Weekly as part of a fast-growing town maturing: "It's not necessarily cause for alarm. It's pretty normal." She also said the 2028 forecast covers new funding, not projects already scheduled for 2027.

The Town posted a 2027 recommended budget of about $190 million across 16 funds on Oct. 15 and scheduled adoption for Nov. 10. After the vote, the Town's answer about what comes next is direct:

"As Erie grows, staff anticipate increased demand for programs and facility space, with offerings reaching capacity more quickly."

The same Town page says that no other funding source has been identified. Any future project would need further evaluation and direction from Council, and a similar ballot measure would typically not return the year after it failed. A smaller or phased expansion is possible if Council asks for one.

Already-budgeted work is going ahead. The Mini Miners playground replacement is expected to start before the end of this year, and 2027 work includes new locker-room tile and pool upgrades. Every year the building also shuts down briefly. In 2026, the whole center closed for maintenance from Aug. 31 through Sept. 7, after the pool area closed early, on Aug. 24, for HVAC work.

The week that an Erie address gets you

If space stays the same and demand keeps rising, the people who get in are the ones who register first. Erie's registration calendar gives residents a head start. For the fall 2026 program guide, which covers Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, residents could register on Wednesday, Aug. 12, and everyone else on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Registration opened at 7 a.m. online through Amilia and in person for most programs, and adult general interest programs opened at noon.

For a household weighing Erie against a nearby town, living in Erie doesn't guarantee a spot in a community center class. In 2025, nearly 1,500 people ended up on program waitlists, so the resident window, which opened a week before standard registration in fall 2026, was the advantage that counted.

A few practical points for anyone deciding where in the Erie area to live:

• Check the town on the tax bill. Recreation access and the resident registration window depend on whether the home is inside Town of Erie limits.
• Look at the full levy list. The Town's 13.382 mills sit alongside school, county and any metro district levies, and those differ from one parcel to the next.
• Mark registration days the week the guide comes out. The fall guide was announced Aug. 7, five days before resident registration opened.

FAQ

Is the community center closing or shrinking? No. The Town says it will keep making the most of the existing space, and routine maintenance and equipment replacement will continue.

What happens to the expansion design work already done? According to the Town, it stays on file to guide future decisions, though plans and cost estimates may need updating if the project moves forward later.

Did Erie voters approve any new tax this November? Unofficial results showed Ballot Issue 3E, the lodging tax on future hotels and short-term rentals, passing with about 60% of the vote.

If you're comparing Erie homes and want to understand how a specific address fits with town services, tax levies and community center access, The Sledge Team can go through the details with you at no pressure. If you already own in Erie and want to know how changes like this affect your home's value, start with a free, no-pressure home valuation.