How Much Will St. Charles Pools Cost Taxpayers This Year?

Operating and maintaining a community pool can be a costly business.

And when a city-run pool does not make any money, or even break even, in a given year, taxpayers are left to foot the bill, the Daily Herald reports.

So, what is that expected to mean for St. Charles taxpayers this year?

Not much, a Daily Herald investigation found. Unlike many communities that are slated to lose money on their pools, St. Charles is among a handful of communities slated to make six figures -- just over $150,000 -- this year on its aquatics program.

Nearby, the Geneva Park District is also expected to make money: $44,000 on its pools. Meanwhile, the Batavia Park District is slated to lose over $73,000.

Maintenance costs, the weather and a “glut of entertainment options” when it comes to pools and aquatic centers in the suburbs has lead to increased operational costs and lower revenue for many communities, the Daily Herald investigation found.

“I think there’s a degree of the community that does go elsewhere because it has a little more to offer,” Wood Dale Park District Executive Director Matthew Ellmann toldthe Daily Herald. “Society as a whole, people want the more, the new, the next greatest thing. At some point we’ll have to address that.”

Take a look at what other communities throughout the suburbs are expected to spend on their pool operations this year on the Daily Herald website.