If approved by a simple majority, the city's total sales tax will increase from 7.975 cents to 8.475 cents for every $1 spent. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around $722,000 annually. The projected cost of the new facility with an aquatic center is $10.5 million. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around The city has enough funding in place - around $7 million - to build the new facility without an aquatic center, said Terri Thorn, director of operations, finance officer. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around She said the indoor recreation center, expected to be around 35,000-45,000 square feet in size, will include a gymnasium, walking track, fitness equipment area and multipurpose rooms. It would be built on a 7-acre tract of land on Market Street behind the Warrenton 8 Cinema complex. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around Costello said the indoor facility is a needed investment for the city. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around "Kids in period don't have enough to do," he said. "As I get older, sometimes I don't have enough to do. It's clear this facility will be for the young, the middle age and seniors." City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around Costello said he and the board of aldermen want to lean on the residents to have a voice in the project. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around "We probably couldn't have asked at a worse time simply because of the economy," he said. "The public has to give us direction. We certainly understand this is not an ideal time to put the project on the ballot. We want to make the best decision." City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around Don Williams, a local insurance agent in Warrenton and former member of the Industrial Development Authority of Warrenton, is concerned residents might steer from purchasing vehicles, appliances or other expensive products that could hurt local businesses. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around "This is not a good time to raise taxes of any kind, whether it be sales tax, income tax or personal property tax," he said. "I have no opposition to the recreation facility. I can see the benefits to it. (The city) should stay within their budget." City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around Rick Gastorf, owner of Gastorf-Schrump Motors in Warrenton, agrees an increase in sales tax could affect a buying decision. A consumer pays sales tax on a vehicle from where they legally reside. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around "It's obviously a concern," Gastorf said. "We don't want to see the sales tax keep going up. It's an addition to an already expensive deal." City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around Aldermen have yet to finalize a decision to go ahead and build the facility, going with a "wait-and-see approach" on whether to build the new building without an aquatic center or to postpone the project entirely. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around "We will wait to see how this election turns out," Ward 1 Alderman Jerry Cullom said. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around When asked why the city doesn't add the aquatic center down the road, Costello answered, "It is an option, but one we're reluctant to make. It's hard to go back and try to build it right. It's one of the most expensive parts of the project and it costs the most to operate." City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around Aldermen made the decision to ask for the increase following a survey sent out to residents where around 70 percent of the residents who responded wanted the indoor center to have an aquatic center in the first phase of construction. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around In the same survey, however, only 14 percent said they would favor a one-half cent tax increase. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed said they would not support a tax increase of any kind. Another 25 percent said they would support a one-tenth cent tax increase and 22 percent said they would support a quarter cent increase. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around "When we did that survey, everyone rated (the aquatic center) as the top reason they would go to the recreation center," Cullom said. City officials expect the new sales tax issue to generate around While there is no sunset on the tax increase, Costello acknowledged that money generated from the tax could help fund future capital improvements. He noted the city's existing pool is nearly 20 years old. Should the city build the indoor recreation facility, early indications Thorn said, are for monthly membership fees to range from $30-35 for families to $25-30 for adults.