Living Planet seeks ballot

All the Living Planet Aquarium wants is a chance.

In a letter to the Salt Lake County Council delivered Monday, the vice president of the aquarium's board asked the council to let the voters decide whether they want to pay higher property taxes to build a world-class aquarium in Salt Lake City.

"Please do not deprive the citizens whom you represent of the right to choose for themselves," wrote David N. Wolf, vice chairman of the board.

Today, the County Council will decide final ballot language on initiatives for the November ballot. But voters might not get a chance to weigh in on the Living Planet's $34.5 million request.

Council members are worried that too many initiatives on the ballot could cause a bad case of "voter fatigue." The aquarium is competing with an $895 million bond for TRAX expansion, $48 million to buy up open space and another $63.5 million for recreational projects.

The aquarium just has bad timing, several council members have said.

But Wolf urged the council to judge the project on its own merits, not by how many other projects the council wants voters to approve.

"We recognize that there are a number of projects seeking to obtain public money this year," Wolf said. "In fact, several members of the council have publicly stated that, if it weren't for the other initiatives that will likely be on the ballot this November, there would be no question that the aquarium bond would be placed on the ballot."

The aquarium's preview exhibit recently moved to Sandy.

If the aquarium bond is approved, voters would pay $5 more a year in property taxes on a $200,000 home.

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com