Salt Lake County voters, including every Millcreek resident, will decide this November whether to reauthorize a $100 million recreation bond that would fund park repairs, upgrades and new amenities across the valley without raising property taxes.

The Salt Lake County Council voted 8-1 on Wednesday, Aug. 5, to place the general obligation bond on the November general election ballot, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The measure replaces a 2016 bond of $90 million, but county spokesperson Eric Biggart said the average homeowner with a $658,000 home will continue paying about $17 a year toward park projects because the tax rate stays the same.

The bond money would be split three ways: roughly 40% for maintenance of county recreation areas, just under 25% to finish improvements already underway and 37% for new projects.

What's at stake locally

Millcreek is home to several county-owned recreation assets that could benefit, including the Millcreek Recreation Center at 2266 East Evergreen Ave. and Evergreen Park, the oldest park in the county system, acquired in 1946. The county has not released a project-by-project list identifying which Millcreek facilities would receive bond dollars.

The need is steep. Parks and Recreation Director Chris Otto told the county's Recreation Bond Advisory Board on June 12 that roughly $160 million in deferred maintenance exists system-wide. The county's annual TRCC fund covers only about $10 million across all parks, recreation, arts and planetarium assets.

"The capital needs for Parks and Rec across all of these facilities is greater than the funding they get annually," Community Services Director Robin Chalhoub told the advisory board on June 5. "Hence, they lean into this bond process every 10 years as a catch-up."

Salt Lake County has issued recreation bonds in 1997, 2006, 2012 and 2016.

The lone 'no' vote

Councilmember Jiro Johnson, a Democrat representing most of Salt Lake City and portions of the valley's west side, cast the only dissenting vote. He said he wanted the council to consider adding more funds to the bond to pay for additional projects in West Jordan and in Utah's capital.

The remaining eight council members voted yes.

What happens next

The bond will appear on the November general election ballot. If voters approve it, the county can issue up to $100 million in bonds, though the actual amount issued may be less. The measure is a general obligation bond, separate from the ZAP (Zoo, Arts, and Parks) sales tax.

The county has not yet released a detailed project list showing which Millcreek facilities would receive bond dollars.