"Where's their contribution?" he said. "This is a regional facility, as I understand it."

Anderson scoffs at that argument, saying other regional draws, such as the new main library, have been funded at the city's expense. He also pointed to Buhler's support of the 2003 bond issuance, which was funded by a Salt Lake City-only tax increase.

"He has done nothing to help raise funds for The Leonardo, and to say that this is a state or county obligation is, I think, pretty absurd at this point in time after he approved a $10 million bond going to Salt Lake City residents alone to support The Leonardo a few years ago," Anderson said.

The mayor said he is hopeful at least four council members will support some kind of funding arrangement for The Leonardo, if not the sales-tax bond then maybe another property-tax bond for the ballot. But he worries that voters might be less apt to support such a bond in a year when they will likely be asked to vote for tax increases to fund new public-safety facilities and improvements at Hogle Zoo.

Councilman Carlton Christensen said he is willing to hear the mayor's pitch, although he has some concerns about a sales-tax bond on which the voters have no say.

"We've asked people once if they want to spend $10 million," he said. "If we're going to raise that, I feel like we owe it to them to go back and ask them if that's really what they want us so spend their tax dollars on."

But Tull said the 2003 vote in favor of the original bond points to voter support for the project.

"They made it clear they wanted an arts culture on Library Square," she said.

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E-mail: dsmeath@desnews.com