News for |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
By Myrna Trauntvein Mona City Council agreed to go ahead with the plan to build two pickleball courts in Mona even without having received any grant money for the project. “We have the funds for the project without receiving a grant,” said Alicia Hills, city recorder. The money the city has comes from the PAR tax that the city collects. The PAR Tax in Utah (Parks, Arts, and Recreation) is a local option, voter-approved sales tax (typically 0.1 percent) used to fund parks, arts, and recreation programs, not a property tax, paid by anyone shopping in the city, and often sunsets (ends) after 10 years, requiring reauthorization. Many Utah cities, like Mona, Nephi, Springville, and Lehi, utilize it for community amenities and cultural grants, with funds strictly designated for these purposes, requiring transparency and voter approval for implementation and renewal. “When we called, we found that the PAR Tax collection money has to be used for new builds,” said Linda Steele, city finance director. “It has to be used within five years.” There is an obligation to return the funds if they are not used. She said that the pickleball courts had been on the wish list for several years but the city had been unable to get a grant. Tony Openshaw, council member, had concerns. One of those was that he did not want the pickleball courts to belong to the state, which had been a requirement of the state recreation grant they had been seeking. That would not be the case, said Hills. The pickleball court, if paid for out of the PAR tax, would belong to the city. He also wondered about the location. It will be on the old ball field which is now a home to weeds, said Steele. “We need to use the PAR tax money within five years and we are now on a tight time frame,” she said. “We need three bids and the process is lengthy.” She said that they would need to follow the steps needed to use the money. Kris Kay, council member, said that Amy Stanley, council member over recreation, had conducted a survey of town members. “She did a study and the majority of people wanted a pickleball court,” said Kay. “Well, we may as well use the PAR tax,” said Openshaw. Kevin Squire, council member, made the motion to use the PAR tax money for the construction of the two pickleball courts. Devan Ingram, council member, made the second and by roll call vote, all voted in favor.
| ||