The Snyderville Recreation District is going to a public hearing soon on a proposed tax increase that will raise just under $2.4 million a year.
District Director Brian Hanton says they haven’t had a tax increase for about 15 years.
The District’s Truth in Taxation hearing is set for December 4th, at 6 p.m. at the Richins Services Building—part of the County Council’s agenda.
Hanton said that the tax rate would amount to $12.83 annually, per $100,000 assessed value of a residence.
He said that since their last tax increase in 2004, they’ve acquired 2100 acres of open space, created 90 miles of trails, and developed two more community parks.
He said they need the funding for maintenance and capital replacement of those assets.
“So playgrounds, fields, those types of amenities, and also helping with just our capital plan, providing those facilities that we would like, if it’s more park space, if it’s more trailheads, trail development, those types of things.”
He also discussed what would happen if the tax increase was rejected.
“If this doesn’t go through, it’ll definitely cut into services we can provide—just grooming of Nordic skiing and the maintenance of those facilities. We might have to shut some playgrounds down, just because our crews are so busy at repairing them. If we don’t have the funds to facilitate those, that’s a potential as well.”
On a related item, Hanton said they hope that by the end of the year, they can wrap up acquisition of the so-called “Amenti” property near Trailside Park. He said they’ve been pursuing that parcel, and negotiating with the owner, since 2011.
“And we are receiving a grant from the county for $4 million through their Transient Room Tax. With that grant, there has to be a recreational amenity to the process which is the project. So our plan is, with that property, it’s about 68 acres. We’ll have some trail development. There are some trails already on the property that we will enhance and make them more sustainable. But what we’re looking to do is also provide some more field space in that area since it’s abutting our current park, we don’t have to build maintenance facilities and those types of things on that venue. We can just use the existing facilities, so we feel like it’s a good savings that way. And we can help meet the needs of the community in developing some more field space.”
Snyderville Recreation District Director Brian Hanton.
