Metolius Elementary School students practice kicking along the pool wall at the Madras Aquatic Center during class.

The Madras Aquatic Center will close for a month this spring, part of a wider effort to cut costs at Jefferson County’s only public pool.

Bobby DeRoest, general manager of the facility, said the pool is looking at a $90,000 shortfall in its roughly $700,000 annual operating budget. To try to close the gap, the pool will close between March 28 and May 1, shut down two hours earlier on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, reduce staffing and consider restructuring outstanding debts.

DeRoest said the aquatic center gets about 27 percent of its revenue from a property tax levy of 25 cents per $1,000 in assessed value, and 73 percent from income from memberships, swim lessons and other programs.

In 2004, Jefferson County voters approved an $8.1 million bond to build the aquatic center, which includes a 25-yard, six-lane lap pool, a recreation pool with a water slide, and a whirlpool. With additional funding from grants and other sources, the pool opened in January 2008.

DeRoest said the center’s budgetary woes are largely the result of sluggish economic conditions that have persisted through most of its three years of operation, and rising utilities prices.

Natural gas and electricity to heat and operate the facility total roughly $12,000 per month, he said.

During the planning phases of the pool, Jefferson County was expecting continued growth, in part driven by the anticipated opening of the Deer Ridge Correctional Institution. But while the minimum-security portion of the prison began filling up in late 2007, the opening of the larger, medium-security component has been delayed indefinitely due to the state’s budget difficulties.

There also have been layoffs at the county’s largest employers. Altogether, the expected influx of new Jefferson County residents and larger tax base never happened.

“There were some things when they built this facility that were put in place — they thought there were a lot more people moving, and a lot more jobs coming, a lot more housing developments going up,” DeRoest said. “Since they built this, most of that has stopped.”

The Madras Aquatic Center has tried to keep prices low, DeRoest said, with a one-time visit at $4, and a monthly pass at $18. While higher rates could help close the budget gap, he said visitor numbers are already sliding — possibly as a result of poor economic conditions — and higher fees are not currently under consideration.

“We don’t want to make it harder for people to afford it,” DeRoest said. “We do feel like we offer a very affordable rate — in comparison with other facilities, it’s probably less — but with the economy the way it is in our community here, we want to make sure it’s an affordable recreation for anybody and everybody.”