Salt Lake County voters favoring parks bond

Salt Lake County • Voters agree to raise taxes on homes an average of $5.73 per year.

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Salt Lake County voters supported the issuance of $47 million in bonds to finance the completion of two trails and the development of four regional parks in fast-growing western and southern communities, according to unofficial election results Tuesday.

Slightly more than 56 percent of county voters backed the bond, which Mayor Peter Corroon viewed as a parting legacy of his eight years running the county.

Corroon originally proposed a $123 million bond that included $26 million for deferred maintenance at existing parks. That was removed to persuade a reluctant County Council to put a smaller bond proposal before voters.

But opponents, such as the Utah Taxpayers Association, contended the county should not build new parks until it can take care of existing ones.

In supporting the 20-year bond, voters agreed to raise property taxes $5.73 per year for owners of a $238,000 home (the county's median value) and $10.24 for the owner of a similarly valued business.

The money will be used to finish the last four undeveloped sections of the Jordan River Parkway Trail ($11.5 million) and five sections of Parleys Trail, which will connect the Parkway to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Its share is $9 million.

While $5.5 million will be used to buy 60 acres at 7200 W. 4100 South for a park in Magna, three other parks will be developed. They are:

• Southwest Regional Park, 80 acres at 14000 S. 2700 West in Bluffdale, $10 million;

• Wheadon Farm Park, 64 acres at 13800 S. 440 East in Draper, $6 million;

• Lodestone Regional Park, 62 acres at 6170 W. 5990 South in Kearns, $5 million.