Billings, Bailey embrace commercial airport, technology

PROVO — A futuristic vision of Provo emerged Thursday night during a debate between Mayor Lewis Billings and the challenger who stands between him and a third term, Dave Bailey.

The two men anticipated a day when the Provo Municipal Airport offers commercial airline service; when residences grow increasingly dependent on digital technology and benefit from iProvo, the city's fiber-optic network; and when residents enjoy a state-of-the-art $8 million performing arts center in the downtown area.

Some of those possibilities are closer than others.

Billings and Bailey both agreed a performing arts center is necessary and beneficial, and Billings announced that a long-desired center is nearly a reality. He said the fund raising is nearly complete, and the project to renovate the former Provo City Library on Center Street should go to bid in December.

Billings said he rejected previous proposals that would have cost $13 million and $25 million. Instead, he backed a plan in the range of $7 million, most of it from private donations.

"We set out to do that project without raising the taxes of the people of Provo, and I'm very proud to be one of the people who made that happen," Billings said. "It's easy to say you support the arts; it's another to raise millions to support them. We have raised millions, and many know it's not easy raise millions in this community."

Bailey corrected early campaign rumors that he was against the arts. His father was a professional performer, and Bailey said he holds season tickets to Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City and to Brigham Young University's theater productions.

He also suggested Provo should again provide free Sunday night concerts.

The buildout of the iProvo network is more than halfway done and is scheduled to be completed next year. Bailey renewed his attack on the decision made by Billings and the City Council to build the network using $40 million in bonds without a vote by residents.

Bailey said if elected he would call for public hearings to discuss whether the city should "cut its losses" or continue to go forward. However, he indicated iProvo should go forward but that he would try to pay off the bonds with any available financial reserves, would review the contracts with the service providers who deliver phone, cable TV and Internet services over the network, keep the city out of providing services and conduct additional studies.

"We need to visit the cities that were examples for iProvo and see why they failed, like Marietta, Ga.," Bailey said. "We should approach them and ask them what they did right and what did they did wrong, and why did they fail."