From Deseret News archives:
Initiatives on ballot add up to $1 billion
County adds open-space measure to the hefty list
The Salt Lake County Council added another $48 million initiative to the November ballot Tuesday — for a bond that would pay to snap up land for parks, trails and other open space before development takes over all the pristine spots.
Add that to $895 million for TRAX expansion and another $63 million for zoo, arts and parks projects, and it brings the grand total of projects on the ballot to $1 billion. If voters approve all three initiatives, property taxes on a $200,000 home would jump by $133 per year.
Those kind of numbers could cause a bad case of "voter fatigue," several members of the council said Tuesday. With that, every initiative likely won't pass, Councilwoman Jenny Wilson said.
"I think that if there is going to be fatigue, frankly, it's going to be on the transportation bond because of the amount," Wilson said. "It's like a la carte at a restaurant. People will look at this independently.
"If anything is in jeopardy here," she added, "it's probably the TRAX bond."
Taxes could go even higher if the council decides to put a $34 million bond on the ballot for the Living Planet Aquarium. But several council members said that likely won't happen. A decision on that initiative could come Aug. 8.
As for the open-space bond, voters seem poised to give their stamp of approval.
A Dan Jones & Associates poll of 606 county residents, commissioned by Salt Lake County officials, showed 70 percent of county residents would approve the open-space bond. The poll, conducted July 11-15, had a margin of error of 4 percent.
Council Chairman Cort Ashton said the people of Salt Lake County see the importance of preserving parks and trails for future generations.
"We all look at the fields we used to play and run in, . . .and now there are houses and office buildings," Ashton said. "As we go forward, I think this is a pivotal time in the history of our community."
If voters approve, the county would float a 20-year bond to acquire and develop land for community and regional parks, trails, and land to protect wildlife habitat and wetlands.
The council will strategically place the zoo, arts and parks bond on the top of the ballot as Proposition A, since that is its highest priority, Councilman Joe Hatch said. The open-space bond will be listed as Proposition B, with the TRAX-expansion bond following as Proposition C.
The county poll showed that 45 percent of residents would vote for both open space and TRAX, and 35 percent would vote for both the ZAP and open-space bond. However, no question on the poll asked if voters would approve all three if placed on the ballot.
Councilman Mark Crockett said voters recognize the need for preserving open space.
"People understand these things are going away and would like to try and preserve them for the future," he said.
E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com
