PAYSON (AP) — Payson officials are looking at a number of options to replace or redo the city's 30-year-old pool, including building a recreation center.
But Dennis Thomas, whose family owns Dumbbells, a power-lifting gym in Payson, said municipal recreation centers nationwide are losing money, even in big cities.
"And here tiny little Payson is trying to build one," he said.
City officials said about 80 percent of the residents responding to a mailed survey favored a recreation center.
Thomas said the survey, which was sent to just more than 5,000 homes with an 18 percent response rate, was geared toward the response the city wanted and did not contain information about how much the center would cost or other negative aspects about the project, just the benefits.
Residents "don't have a clue what it's going to cost to run the thing," he said, and predicted that once the cost was known most would withdraw their support.
Money was the biggest concern of residents, city recreation director Karl Teemant said. The project could cost millions of dollars, and the city is researching ways to pay for such a venture.
The proposed recreation plan, whatever it turns out to be, will go before voters in June or November.
A recreation center also could thrust the city into competition with a private venture.
Thomas said two ventures would appeal to mostly different target markets, so his gym should not see a loss in revenue.