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Richard Piatt ReportingSalt Lake City council members got an earful tonight from folks who have an interest in everything from higher taxes to speed bumps.
Voters get to decide whether to raise their own taxes and by how much. At stake: a list of projects that total just over 47-million dollars. Salt Lake City taxpayers will vote with their pocketbooks in mind on Election Day, thanks to a council vote tonight.
A bond election will decide the fate of a wish list of projects that includes improvements to The Hogle Zoo. A bond calls for 10-million dollars for those upgrades, a fraction of what's needed for the zoo expansion.
There's also a request for 10-million dollars for an art, science and cultural 'Leonardo Center', in the old main library building. Five-million dollars to pay for improvements to Library Square, another five-million for new branches of the library, for more parks and open space. And 15-million dollars would help fund a new sports complex that would include 30 soccer fields, just northeast of the airport.
Paul Burke, Utah Youth Soccer Association: "We don't want to turn kids away who want to play soccer. But some of our leagues are on the brink of having to do that."
On Election Day voters will be able to pick which projects they support one-by-one. If they choose to support the whole list--worth 47.6 million dollars, they would be raising taxes on themselves about 23-dollars a year, based on a 175-thousand dollar home.
Paying for projects isn't the only thing nagging at city residents. The Council expects to decide on the controversial 'traffic calming' program next week.
Speed bumps--either love them or hate them and people are speaking out. Emotions run high both for and against them, but one man tonight is definitely opposed, saying they're about as calming as a hiccup.
