I am strongly opposed to the proposed Basin Recreation $150 million bond.
As a 37-year Snyderville Basin full-time resident, I feel the bond and the project it will fund is far too expensive, and not sustainable. Of our 2025 property tax bill, $987.40 was for Basin Rec, Snyderville Basin Recreation $683.58 (presumably operating expense, personnel, utilities, maintenance, etc.) plus two bonds, $192.42 and $111.40 which was 9.9% of our total tax bill.
Basin Rec’s estimate that the bond will increase property tax by an additional $203/$1 million valuation will add an additional $342.64 to our annual property tax bill. As has been pointed out in articles in The Park Record, Town Lift and KPCW, that bond does not cover the additional operating and maintenance expenses of two large facilities, something that should have been included in Basin Rec’s presentation to the Summit County Council and the public. Not doing so has reduced my confidence in Basin Rec’s management.
The current field house at Kimball junction is 87,000 square feet. The proposed Silver Creek Aquatic Center would be 120,000 square feet, and the proposed East Canyon/Jeremy rock climbing facility would be 64,000 square feet. Going from 87,000 to 271,000 square feet is a 311% increase.
I would expect a similar increase in the operating budget for additional personnel, maintenance and operating expenses.
Based on my 2025 property tax bill that 3.1 fold increase would raise the line item for Snyderville Basin Recreation from $683.58 to $2,129.31! Add in the $342.64 increase for the $150 million bond, and $303.82 for the two existing Basin Rec bonds and you are looking at my total tax payment for Basin Rec going from $987.40 to $2,775.77! $231/month!
Continuously raising taxes will drive out longtime residents who have paid for their homes years ago because they can’t afford those taxes.
Basin Rec and the county do a great job at providing things that the private sector cannot duplicate, like trails, parks, sporting fields. What this bond would provide seems like more of a want than a need. It is not government’s job to provide country club level amenities at taxpayer expense.
It is somewhat redundant. There are already four county provided pools/aquatic/fitness facilities within a 20-25 minute drive available to Basin residents: the field house at Kimball Junction, Park City Aquatic Center (attached to Ecker Hill Middle School), South Summit Aquatic and Fitness Center in Kamas, and the North Summit Swimming Pool in Coalville.
Survey/poll bias. If Basin Rec is polling people who already use the facility, one would think those people would want more amenities/facilities. In addition, people who do not use the current facilities would likely be less inclined to take the time to respond to a poll.
Expanding government-provided, taxpayer-subsidized facilities pushes private sector businesses out in that the taxpayer subsidy moves the cost of providing the service below what can be sustained in the open market. Silver Mountain Spa had a facility at Kimball Junction that was closed after the Basin Rec Field House went in.
Please do not support this bond measure.
Bruce Kirchenheiter
Snyderville Basin