To bolster the arts and, perhaps, build a cultural-arts center, Orem City Council members have voted to put a Recreation, Arts and Parks (RAP) tax on the Nov. 8 ballot.

"Rap is offensive enough as music," said Orem resident Giles Hall. "A RAP tax would be even more unbearable."

RAP opponent Bob Wright says any tax increase is a burden for seniors living on fixed incomes. Besides, he added, the taxpayers already are divvying out dollars for city parks and recreation.

"There's already talk of instituting a tax for [commuter] rail that would place another burden on citizens," the 81-year-old Orem resident said. "That's much more important and necessary than building a cultural-arts center."

If passed by Orem voters, the tax - a tenth of 1 percent on sales - would raise an estimated $1 million a year to go toward a cultural-arts center and recreation programs in Utah County's second-most populous city.

Mayor Jerry Washburn understands there is some opposition.

"But we're placing this on the ballot so citizens can have the final say on whether we should or should not do this," Washburn said. "It's a fairly small tax - it translates into about 10 cents on a $100 purchase - but it could generate some sizable revenues for the performing arts and recreation."

Council members' action comes at the recommendation of the Orem Cultural Arts Commission. Commission member Laura Folkman says a cultural-arts building is badly needed because too many performing-arts groups are homeless and others are confined to cramped or ill-suited quarters.

Brigham Young University, for example, no longer makes its stages available to the Utah Valley Regional Ballet. The Utah Valley and Utah Valley Youth symphonies are homeless. The Hale Center Theatre in Orem is old, small and without air conditioning much of the time. The SCERA, the private nonprofit organization in Orem dedicated to the cultural arts, is strapped for cash and fighting fiscally to survive.

"I'm afraid we'll lose [these groups] if we don't build them a home," Folkman said.

Still, RAP money would not be reserved exclusively for cultural arts. Councilman Stephen Sandstrom said about 20 percent of it is proposed to help create more open space and better recreational opportunities.

He said he would like to see more of the money, if the tax passes, applied to recreation and less to the arts.

"We have so many growing sports programs," he said, "and the fields are already taxed right now as far as having adequate recreation space."

meddington@sltrib.com