Weber RAMP grants total $2.2 million for 2010

OGDEN — Ogden gets money for a dog park. Riverdale gets some for a splash pad. Roy gets some for a trail.

And there's money for Harrisville, Eden, North Ogden, Weber County, Plain City, South Ogden, West Haven, Weber State University Foundation, Union Station, Ogden Symphony Ballet and Downtown Ogden Inc.

In all, Weber County commissioners approved $2.2 million in grants for 2010 from the county's recreation, arts, museums and parks tax.

The RAMP tax is a special sales tax of 0.1 percent that has been collected in Weber County since 2005. The tax is designated to be used only in the aforementioned categories.

Each year, organizations in the tax's four categories apply for the grants, which are approved by a RAMP tax committee, Weber County mayors and finally by Weber County commissioners.

Tuesday's approval means Ogden will be $60,000 closer to the construction of a community dog park. Roy will be $77,000 closer to the construction of its segment of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail Trail, which will eventually run uninterrupted from West Haven to the Legacy Parkway Trail and, eventually, to the Jordan River Parkway.

Riverdale will receive $100,000 toward the construction of a $280,000 splash pad.

"It sure helps," said Larry Hansen, Riverdale's city administrator.

The city applied for the grant hoping to receive full funding but was willing to provide matching funds, as well.

So, Riverdale gets roughly one-third of its costs paid for through the grant, Hansen said.

This year's distribution is smaller than that in previous years, said Candadai Seshachari, chairman of the RAMP tax advisory board, which made the recommendation to commissioners Tuesday.

The tax generated $2.79 million in 2006, $2.69 million in 2007, $3.08 million in 2008 and $2.59 million in 2009, according to data from the Weber County Clerk/Auditor's Office. The economy is to blame for lower tax collections, Seshachari said.

State and local governments, which rely on sales taxes for their revenue, have been suffering in recent years because sales taxes have been declining.

Dan Olsen, Weber County's comptroller, said the Utah Legislature's removal of food from the sales tax base also caused a hit to the RAMP tax's revenue.

But the tax is benefitting residents throughout Weber County, Seshachari said.

"We have run a free, fair, open and a very transparent operation," he said.

John Bond, Weber County treasurer, said the RAMP tax has had a positive impact since it was implemented, despite the fact that it was a tax increase for residents.

"I've seen reaction to it of, 'Finally, what a wonderful thing for the community as a whole,' " Bond said.

The RAMP tax has just entered its sixth year of collections, which will continue through 2012 unless voters reauthorize county commissioners to impose the tax for an additional eight years.

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