Salt Lake County rec projects underfunded

Somehow, Salt Lake County is $19 million short on funds to build 25 different recreation projects.

County voters approved a $63.5 million bond last November to start construction on the new recreation centers and trails. But low-ball estimates and inflation costs have left county leaders scrambling to figure out a way to fund the budget shortfall.

On Tuesday, the County Council passed a resolution assuring cities that the county will not break its promise to pay out the $63.5 million that the voters approved. However, the council members didn't find any answers to the $19 million problem.

For Councilman Jim Bradley, the resolution accomplished little.

"Why do we have to go out and say, 'Hey, we promise we're not going to be the bad guys,"' said Bradley, who ultimately voted in favor of the resolution.

Mayor Peter Corroon said the county needs to keep its promise to voters that the recreational projects will be built. Projects on the list include new recreation centers in both the north and south ends of the valley and a new baseball complex in Taylorsville.

Council chairman Mark Crockett said, "It seems implausible that some of these have been going up 50 percent to 100 percent."

County planners originally had estimated that the new Southwest Recreation Center would cost about $15 million. Now, estimates peg the price at nearly $23 million.

A new Northwest Recreation Center in Salt Lake was originally budgeted for $12 million, but now with inflation costs, that number skyrocketed to nearly $18 million.

"They are facing the reality of building a rec center literally too small when it opens," said Doug Willmore, the county's chief administrative officer.

Corroon has an answer to the problem: $20 million in money that was supposed to be used to build a stadium for Real Salt Lake that is now sitting in county coffers.

The county took out a $20 million bond in 2005 to build a parking garage for the South Towne Exposition Center. But now the state is building the parking garage, so the county is trying to figure out what to do with the money.

Corroon wants to use the $20 million bond to offset the inflationary construction costs of all the recreation projects. The council will discuss its options to make up the $19 million gap at a scheduled meeting in two weeks.

Councilwoman Jenny Wilson said she would consider cutting some of the smaller recreation projects to make sure bigger projects get funding.

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