Salt Lake County may derail bond plea for TRAX

Move over, TRAX.

That $895 million price tag for light-rail expansion across the west side won't work right now, several members of the Salt Lake County Council say.

Such a hefty sum could trump all of the other projects voters could see on the November ballot: $30 million to buy open and green space, $63.5 to build new recreational facilities through the Zoo, Arts and Parks tax, and $34 million for the Living Planet Aquarium.

"When UTA comes in asking for $900 million, it kills everything else on the ballot. Voters will say, 'Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope,' " Councilman Michael Jensen told county leaders at a packed budget meeting last week as he marked an imaginary ballot.

Today marks the first week of official County Council deliberations on what bond projects should make the November ballot.

Up for debate today is a $30 million bond to preserve open and green space across the valley. The behemoth TRAX expansion bond discussion is scheduled for June 27.

Council Chairman Cort Ashton is sponsoring the bond and said the county needs to act now to preserve open space before development swallows up all the good land.

If approved, the bond would pay to preserve the Jordan River bottoms, trails and the Jordan River Parkway. It would also pay for massive regional parks, specifically a park like Salt Lake City's Liberty Park out on the valley's west bench.

"The difference between Manhattan and Jersey City is Central Park," Ashton said. "Green space and open space provides a much-needed element in total overall community mental health."

The 15-year open space bond would boost taxes on a $250,000 home by approximately $7 each year.

The council dropped an $8 million request for ZAP funding from the final funding list last week, saying the open space bond could be used to secure park lands.

Councilman Jim Bradley said he hasn't made up his mind on all of the bond issues but said he sees the importance of investing in open space now.

"If you don't address the issue of open space, all of a sudden there isn't any open space," Bradley said. "The timing on that is critical because we need to address that while there is still open space. The longer you wait, the more it gets developed."

If everything makes it on the ballot, including a possible $35 million for a soccer stadium for Real Salt Lake, voters would be asked to approve more than $1 billion worth of projects.

Ashton said that's too much to ask.

"Do we want to mortgage our future and our future ability to bond for other projects? I don't think so," Ashton said.

He said he can't imagine the council even doubling the county's current general obligation bond debt, which totals about $190 million.

"It's an election year, and there are some folks up for election who worry about the ramifications of putting those kinds of numbers on the ballot in a traditional conservative district," said Ashton, who is not seeking re-election.

Three members of the council are seeking another term: Bradley, Joe Hatch and David Wilde.

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com