Hard economic times may doom zoo, aviary bonds

Record high gas prices and a struggling economy could spell trouble for the Tracy Aviary and Hogle Zoo.

Both facilities are banking on the public to vote in favor of paying higher property taxes to fund upgrades. The zoo wants $65 million to add new exhibits, while the aviary needs $19.3 million to make major upgrades and gain back its accreditation.

But in hard economic times, the public is typically leery of any tax increase, said Kelly Patterson, a political scientist at Brigham Young University.

"If people feel they are struggling in some way, tax increases, even minimal tax increases, usually means a 'no' vote," Patterson said.

The County Council is scheduled to vote July 15 whether the two bond questions should be on the November ballot.

Last year, the council rejected the same request from the zoo on a party-line vote. It looks as if things will be different this year, as Republican Marv Hendrickson said he'll change his vote to put both the zoo and aviary bond requests on the ballot.

But "not if I have anything to do with it," said Royce Van Tassell, vice president of the Utah Taxpayers Association. "We will continue to talk with (Hendrickson) to change that."

The taxpayers' association will fight against both bond proposals, Van Tassell said.

It's about priorities, Van Tassell said.

"The value or importance of those bonds pale in comparison to responsibilities taxpayers are going to be burdened with in taking care of much higher priorities," like the Mountain View Corridor, rebuilding I-15 and funding other transportation needs.

"You can only tax people so far before people get fed up and say, 'No more,"' Van Tassell said. "They need to be looking at the long-term needs as a County Council to decide what are the highest priorities.

"Unfortunately, neither the aviary nor the zoo come anywhere near in terms of importance in the issues the taxpayers will face the next few years."

Republican council member Jeff Allen voted against the zoo's bond request last year and said he will likely vote the same way again this year.

It's not that the zoo doesn't have a good project on its hands, he said.

"With the dropping economy, we have to carefully watch our priorities," Allen said. "But it would be great."