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Provo council sends Recreation, Arts and Parks sales‑tax renewal to November ballot
Summary
Council voted 7–0 to submit an opinion question to Provo voters asking whether to renew the local 0.1% 'RAP' sales tax. Parks Director Doug Robbins and city staff outlined the ballot timetable and how funds have been used over the past decade.
The Provo Municipal Council on Aug. 5 voted 7–0 to submit to voters a ballot question asking whether to renew the city’s Recreation, Arts and Parks (RAP) local option sales tax.
Doug Robbins, Provo’s parks and recreation director, told the council the RAP tax is a state‑authorized local option sales tax equal to one‑tenth of 1% (one penny on every $10) and must be reauthorized by voters every 10 years. Robbins said the tax is collected from residents and visitors and credited the revenue with enabling approximately $2 million per year in recent years to support park improvements, pavilion and playground replacements, the Covey Arts Center, community arts grants and local matches leveraged to attract outside grants.
City staff member Justin (name given in meeting) reviewed procedural steps required under state law and the Transparency of Ballot Propositions Act and said the council must adopt ballot language by Aug. 21 to meet the lieutenant governor’s office deadline. Justin said Utah County passed a July 16 resolution declining to place a countywide measure on the ballot, clearing the way for cities that want to proceed.
The city must post an argument in favor of the ballot question and allow rebuttals; the city elections officer, Heidi Allman, will accept arguments and publish materials in the voter pamphlet between 15 and 45 days before the election. Robbins and staff noted that, should voters approve renewal, an ordinance implementing the tax would follow after a 90‑day notice to the Utah State Tax Commission. The council discussed that the current RAP authorization runs through the end of the fiscal year and that the vote is a renewal or discontinuation, not a rate increase.
Councilor Katrice McKay briefly corrected the date of Election Day during the discussion. The council’s resolution to submit the opinion question passed 7–0.
