The biggest decision in 2026 on how best to leverage Measure Q sales tax revenue could come down to whether to first build a community center or a new swimming pool.
City Manager Toni Lundgren indicated staff is exploring options for the council to weigh in the coming months on how a portion of the temporary three-quarter cent sales tax can be wedded with growth fees to bond for the construction of community amenities.
A new police station breaking ground this year in the 600 block of South Main Street as well as the city’s fire station being built in southwest Manteca will be two of the three projects expected to be funded when the city issues bonds.
The big question is what the third facility will be.
Preliminary exploration is centering on a community center or a swimming pool.
Both are identified deficiencies.
The city municipal pool on Powers Avenue in Marion Elliott Park was built in 1962 when Manteca had a tenth of the residents it does today.
Preliminary assessments made several years ago indicated the pool will eventually need significant improvements for its current footprint.
A 2016 study indicated it would take $4.5 million to replace the pool with one that has modern-day dimensions as opposed to $11.6 million to build a full-blown aquatics center elsewhere. Keep in mind those estimates are now a decade old.
Then there is the question of where a new swimming pool will go.
At one point it was suggested to be part of a community center complex immediately north of the Big League Dreams sports complex on municipal property.
That never got traction. The city, however, in the past has toyed with the idea of an aquatics center being part of the family entertainment center bookended by Great Wolf and BLD. The city owns roughly 100 acres it wants to develop.
The city has made it a goal to secure a 50-acre community park site north of Lathrop Road this year. Even if that happens, it may be years before the park could be at the point an aquatics complex could be placed there.
Manteca does not currently have a community center.
Such complexes in other cities are designed with space to effectively conduct a repertoire of recreation classes as well as serve as a hall for dinners and such.
Manteca has preliminary explored using the northern half of the 8 acres the city bought in the 600 block of South Main Street for the new police station to develop a community center encompassing a new library as well as a performing arts center.
It is centrally located, in a high-profile location, and is close enough to the central district that it could inspire extensive use.
Clearly a need or a want has been demonstrated for both a new swimming pool and a community center.
Cost will be a factor in the decision-making process that will also entail gauging how a portion of what could be $15 million in annual Measure Q tax revenue can be committed to bond repayment given other identified needs.
It also will require projecting growth fee revenue.
As of June 30, 2025, there was a $48.9 million balance in the government facilities fee account that included $9.4 million collected that fiscal year.
The park acquisition and development fee had $25.5 million as the balance with $6.4 million collected that fiscal year.
The fire facility and equipment fee balance was at $6.8 million with $2.8 collected in that fiscal year.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, emaildwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
