Utahns say yes to open space

A majority of Utahns favor raising sales taxes to pay for preserving open space, a proposal that will be on November's ballot, according to a Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll conducted by Dan Jones & Associates.

If the election were held today, 65 percent of the 915 registered voters polled statewide would vote for Initiative 1, a $150 million bond that would pay to improve air and water quality, build parks and preserve open space through a .05-cent sales tax hike.

Only 28 percent of those surveyed said they would vote against the ballot item sponsored by Utahns for Clean Water, Clean Air & Quality Growth. The poll, conducted Sept. 6-9, has a 3 percent margin of error.

The wide margin of support came as no surprise to Amanda Smith, head of the sponsoring group. She said land preservation and open space is something Utahns agree on.

"These numbers reflect our gut and what we've been seeing all along," Smith said. "This issue really activates people. They feel very strongly about it and are willing to dedicate their time and money to preserving open space."

But Randy Parker, CEO at the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, said the majority of Utahns say they are willing to open their wallets for the open space bond because it's a "feel-good initiative." What residents don't understand are the details of the initiative and the impact it will have on private property in Utah, he said.

The bond did not garner the needed approval in the Legislature this year, forcing Smith's group to organize and gather more than 76,000 signatures to earn the item a spot on this year's election ballot. The initiative just made the ballot in August, following an appeal by Smith's group to the Utah Supreme Court, leaving open-space activists in a time crunch to sell the proposal to voters already leery of more tax hikes.

Although support numbers are up for Initiative 1, Smith said her group will launch an advertising campaign to spread the message that the initiative is not just about open space but about ensuring a higher quality of life in Utah.

"We're talking about protecting the assets that we enjoy here in Utah in a responsible way," Smith said. "If people understand that they're getting these sort of public benefits, people overwhelmingly say that it is worth it and they're willing to pay."

Myles Rademan knows how willing people are to pay for preservation. As the public affairs officer in Park City, Rademan has seen his town support two $10 million bonds for open space with nearly 80 percent approval in the past five years.