Gunnison holds public hearing on renewing 0.01% recreation, arts and parks sales tax

Gunnison’s city council opened a public hearing and heard hours of testimony Tuesday on whether to renew the city’s 0.01% recreation, arts and parks (RAP) sales tax, a voter-approved levy the city says technically expired under state statute in April 2023 but that the state has continued to collect and distribute.

An attorney for the city told the council the tax — commonly called the RAP tax — is a local 0.01% sales tax that can be used for recreational, cultural and zoological organizations under state code. He said revenues for the Nelson Valley Recreation Compact, which pools funds for Gunnison, Centerfield and Mayfield, have recently been roughly $61,000–$63,000 per year, with about $62,518 collected in the most recent year and program fees contributing additional income.

The presenter said the statute authorizing many local RAP taxes expired in April 2023, raising statewide questions about the tax commission’s continued certification and collection of those levies. He described the refund process available through tax.utah.gov, noting municipalities may be required to respond to refund claims for the prior two years and that cities likely have already spent the distributed funds, creating practical and legal complications for reimbursements.

Why it matters: residents and program leaders told the council the RAP tax provides seed money that helps qualify the city for larger state grants, sustains Little League, youth football, cheer squads, playground repairs and other programs, and brings outside dollars into local recreation programs. Several speakers urged concise outreach language ("$1 out of $1,000") to avoid confusion with larger-percentage tax increases on other ballots and to emphasize that the measure is a renewal, not a new levy.

Public response and next steps: multiple residents and volunteers described the difficulty of running recreation programs without the RAP tax and said renewal is essential to maintain existing facilities and to pursue grants. The council voted unanimously to open and, after the presentation and public comment, to close the public hearing. Staff said mail ballots are expected to be mailed in mid-October and that the city will prepare voter information and outreach materials. The attorney said the city can request a conference with tax commission staff as part of an appeal process but that court action may be the only definitive remedy if the commission declines relief.

Council actions that evening were procedural: the hearing was opened and closed by unanimous roll-call votes; council members asked staff to develop clear public messaging and to provide reminders and spending disclosures required for the ballot measure. The city did not take a final vote to place the measure on the ballot during the hearing; that procedural step will follow the required notices and filings.

"If we don't get a majority of people saying yes, we'll lose our wonderful programs," one council member said during the discussion, summing up the recurring theme among speakers that the tax funds essential youth recreation and park services.

The council asked staff to prepare concise educational materials and to use radio, flyers, school backpacks and social media to explain the measure’s effect and the difference between 0.01% and more familiar percentage figures. The public hearing record on the renewal opened and closed during the meeting; staff will post required documentation and mail-ballot instructions ahead of the election.