Park City voters on Tuesday indicated they did not want to fund tens of millions of dollars in recreation improvements through a property-tax increase, rejecting a City Hall ballot measure, according to preliminary results.
The results as of Wednesday’s tally were 1,418 votes against the ballot measure, or 55.5%, and 1,137 in favor, or 44.5%. It is highly unlikely the “Yea” votes will close a margin of nearly 11 percentage points by the time of the canvass, when ballots that are not yet counted will be included in the totals.
Park City leaders in August authorized putting the $30 million question to voters in an effort to fund a variety of recreation improvements. Had the ballot measure been successful, the municipal government planned to fund projects like:
- Pickleball courts
- A refrigerated ice sheet that would have been outside and covered
- Nordic skiing upgrades
- Expansion of fitness offerings
- New lights for sports fields
Proponents of the ballot measure argued that Park City’s current facilities are heavily used, saying the funding could have reduced the pressure on existing places like the Park City Ice Arena. The possibility of additional pickleball courts, had the monies been approved, received extra attention during the campaign season as players of the increasingly popular sport lobbied for the passage of the ballot measure.
The property tax increase that would have been attached to a successful ballot measure was estimated to be $137.20 annually on a residence categorized as primary and having a value of a little more than $2.3 million. The figure was estimated at $249.46 annually on a residence categorized as non-primary or a commercial property valued at the same dollar figure. The bonds would have been paid off over, at most, a 20-year period.
Although the ballot measure failed, Park City leaders could eventually consider funding some of the upgrades through other sources. That discussion, if it occurs, would likely be held alongside the broader City Hall budget talks, which are held annually in the spring and early summer.
The opposition to the ballot measure appeared to be worried about a tax increase at a time when the affordability of Park City is under heavy scrutiny. The community is continuing to enjoy a strong economic comeback from the early months of the pandemic, but the success has led to rising real estate prices and rents. The affordability of child-care services in Park City, meanwhile, has added to the worries.
“I think it shows the community has other priorities right now,” Megan McKenna, a housing advocate in Park City, said about the results of the ballot measure.
McKenna drafted a statement in opposition to the ballot measure that was published in official election materials and, as a result, became one of the prominent critics of the proposed tax increase. The statement in opposition, published in the weeks before Election Day, highlighted affordability-related issues like housing, child care, food and transportation.
In an interview after the release of the preliminary results, McKenna said she was surprised with the size of the margin of the defeat of the ballot measure. She said other priorities of the community include affordability, such as housing and child care, and transportation.
“Our workforce is really struggling right now,” she said.