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GREENSBORO — It’s not that they have anything against a new swim center for Greensboro, the newest City Council members said Wednesday.

They just want to understand what they’re getting into before they sign any multimillion-

dollar agreements.

“The question boils down to when and how much?” new Mayor Bill Knight said of the new City Council decision to rethink the previous council’s decision to approve an

$18.3 million aquatics center at the Greensboro Coliseum. “Is now the right time when there is a lot of negativity out there about spending money?”

City Council members could get the answers they seek next week at a scheduled briefing Monday or a retreat at week’s end. The issue of the pool construction contract and its financing will be on the council’s agenda again on Dec. 15.

In May, the City Council asked the city staff to plan quickly for a competitive swim facility at the Greensboro Coliseum, to be funded in part by a $12 million in bonds approved by voters in 2008.

The aquatic center would be designed to bring in major youth swim events and championships.

Since then the city has spent $1.28 million to design the swim facility.

But City Council members were left to decide how to fill a funding gap after bids for the facility came back at $19.7 million.

Hours before the new council was sworn in Tuesday, the previous council approved the construction contract and agreed to fund the gap with hotel-tax revenue.

The new council wants to take a second look at that decision — especially considering that it will have to approve the final financial details of the project.

“I need to understand the financing method a little better,” new Councilwoman Nancy Vaughan said.

“I’m not saying we should throw the facility out. I just want a chance to review it since it will be built during our tenure.”

Some of the new council members expressed confusion about the hotel taxes and how they can be used and whether the city’s taxpayers will have to pick up the

tab for construction costs or debt.

“I am told the taxpayers won’t bear the brunt,” new Councilman Jim Kee said. “I need to be brought up to speed if that is the case.”

Council members also wondered whether there was still an opportunity to attract private or nonprofit funding for the project — although efforts to attract other funding have been fruitless.

Councilman Danny Thompson , who first raised the issue with the new council Tuesday night, wondered whether the three-pool complex was necessary.

“I’d like to really take a long hard look at that,” Thompson said. “Do we need the diving platform?”

Kim Strable , president of the Greensboro Sports Commission, which is responsible for recruiting sporting events to the city, said the aquatics center was designed to meet international competition standards, giving it the ability to attract a wider range of events.

If the city scales back the project to one that could host local swim events, the complex would not have the projected $14.5 million annual economic impact, said Henri Fourrier , director of the Greensboro Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“If the council goes back to the community pool, I will have nothing to sell,” Fourrier said. “Maybe there will be some smaller city meets, but nothing to the effect we talked about.”

Councilman Robbie Perkins said he hopes that the new council members will see the merit of the project when they see the full financial picture.

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com