St. George • Of all the quality of life amenities St. George residents and visitors say they like, the city’s abundant parks and trails are often near the top of the list in surveys.
All told, St. George sports 50 parks, 63 miles of paved trails and 40 miles of unpaved trails. On Tuesday, voters will decide the fate of a proposed $29 million general obligation bond for recreation that would fund significant additions to that list.
If adopted by voters, the bond would be leveraged with recreation, arts and parks (RAP) taxes, impact fees, grant moneys and other sources to fund 33 city projects over the next seven years. Included in the list is the construction of five new parks: Curley Hollow, Los Colinas, Reservoir, Southern Hills and Lizard Wash.
It would also fund improvements to existing parks, trails and facilities and pay for the construction of new ones. Among the upgrades the bond would fund for existing facilities, some of the most notable would be the addition of a performance stage and new restrooms at Town Square Park, new seating and concrete flooring to the Dixie Sunbowl and a new playground, pickleball courts and lighting to the Canyons Softball Complex, just to name a few.
(City of St. George) A proposed project map that shows where new construction and improvements will be situated if St. George's $29 million recreation bond proposal passes.
Supporters argue the bond will ensure St. George’s reputation for recreation excellence will remain intact. Moreover, they add, it will enhance residents’ recreational opportunities, attract more visitors and tourist dollars and set the stage for a “brighter and more vibrant future in the community.”
Among supporters’ selling points is the 25-year bond ostensibly won’t raise property taxes. It essentially replaces the 18-year general obligation recreation bond voters approved in the mid-1990s, which will sunset at the end of the year.
Under the existing bond, the owners of a primary residence valued at roughly $585,000 pay $32.21 per year. Owners of businesses and secondary homes, having the same value, pay $58.57 annually. If the new bond is approved, according to city officials, those payments will remain the same.
Council member Natalie Larsen was a young mother of four years ago when she voted as a resident to improve the existing bond. She said she has never regretted her vote to invest in St. George’s parks and recreation facilities and looks forward to continuing that investment for another 25 years if the new bond meets with voters’ approval.
“To me, it’s a no-brainer,” Larsen said, adding the monthly bond payment is akin to doing with one fewer Swig soda every 30 days.
Larsen and her council colleagues voted unanimously to put the bond proposal on the ballot in July to let voters decide. Still, there is some spirited opposition to the proposal. Resident Richard Falconer leaves no doubt where he stands.
The cost of the proposed bond over 25 years is $45 million, once interest is factored into the equation.
“Recent and current city councils have been on a huge spending spree for years …,” he stated in his written opposition posted on the city’s website. “It’s time to send a clear message that taxpayers do have limits.”
Falconer and other bond critics suggest alternatives, such as a pay-as-you-go approach or waiting a few years to see how the economy fares. “Isn’t it time to pay as you go and not live on borrowed money?” Falconer asks in his post.
Bond supporters, like Council member Dannielle Larkin, counter waiting would wind up costing taxpayers more money since construction costs and land prices for additional parks and trails would only increase. In addition, they argue the cost of the bond to taxpayers is minimal.
“If you’re paying $32 a year to invest in community health and quality of life,” Larkin said, “it seems like an excellent investment to me.”
