This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As a rule, you shouldn't raise taxes while trying to recover from a recession. But when the need is great, the cost is minuscule and opportunity knocks, that rule should be broken. That's why West Valley City voters would be wise to approve Proposition 3, a $25 million parks and open space bond issue that will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot.
By approving the proposition, residents would be voting to tax themselves for the next 20 years. Property taxes would increase by $25 per year for the owner of the average $177,000 home. While we acknowledge the plight of persons who are unemployed or live on fixed incomes, such a small sum — about 7 cents a day — shouldn't prove to be a hardship.
In fact, parks, trails and open space are essential infrastructure that contributes to the quality of life in a community and could help increase property values. And now is the time for West Valley City to get it done. Construction costs and interest rates, due to the recession, are at or near historic lows. And West Valley City could certainly use the facilities.
For its size, West Valley, the state's second largest municipality by population, is park-poor.
While the city currently operates about 20 parks and assorted trails, the bond would complete the city's trail system, increase public open space by about 20 percent and allow for 17 new neighborhood parks. The projects, which Mayor Mike Winder says will change the face of West Valley for the better and forever, would also include a 4- to 7-acre village green that would serve as a community gathering spot.
The bond question has plenty of supporters, including the volunteer West Valley Parks and Trails for Families Committee, which formed to campaign for the bond issue. Also on board are the West Valley Clean and Beautiful Committee and the Granite Board of Education, which endorsed the proposal with an insightful resolution noting that 25 percent of Utah children are overweight, and that accessible parks and trails have been proven to reduce obesity rates. Proposition 3 would place a park within 2,000 yards of all residences.
Plus, the Utah Taxpayers' Association withheld its kiss of death. The business-funded association is taking a neutral stance on the proposition but describes the plan as "economical in design" and notes that providing parks and recreation is "a reasonable function of government."
The association's only beef is that you shouldn't raise taxes in tough economic times. But at a cost of 7 cents per household per day, this is a bargain that the voters shouldn't refuse.