Garden City Rec Center Thoughts - Joey Stocking

I've been undecided on how to vote on the Garden City Rec Center, but was leaning towards voting “NO”. Now I’ve seen some really good discussion points on FB and I am now leaning towards voting “YES” but I am still unsure.

So below are several questions I have heard discussed and my thoughts on them. These were originally posted on facebook and are public posts if you want to discuss them there. Feel free to comment as long as you are kind and civil. I like online discussions as it allows everyone's voice to be heard, unlike public meetings. If you discuss it on social media please use the hashtag #GardenCityRec so we can see people discussing the topic.

Question #1: Is it unethical to raise taxes for a rec center when the biggest burden will go to 2nd home owners who have no vote on the matter?

My Answer: Maybe.

When someone chose to have a 2nd home they knew (or should have known) they will pay the local property taxes which will go to things that directly benefits them (roads to their home, law enforcement if their house is burglarized, fire dept., etc.) but also to things that don’t directly benefit them (operating local schools), but also to things that they may or may not have an opportunity to enjoy (parks, libraries, pool, or rec centers.)

However, I can see how it would be frustrating for a 2nd homeowner if they know they’ll never use a rec center or library or pool.

I am actually in favor of the state doing something so that a 2nd home owner has at least some kind of vote in an area of a 2nd home, even if it is not the same weight as a full time resident. But that is another discussion.

But then again, parks, libraries, rec center do a lot to improve standards of living and economies. A rec center will attract more full time residents and also more off-season tourists which should help the economy of our area which should improve property values (which is usually a good thing) but should also allow for infrastructure and other things that make Bear Lake a better place to live or visit (like a bigger grocery store!) The 2nd home owners would get the benefit of using these other things when they come to visit.

So this makes me lean to a "yes" vote.

Question #2: Is there a better way to fund a rec center in our area?

My Answer: I don’t know.
I was advocating for a special service district (SSD) that would at least include Sweetwater and Swan Creek, so as to have a larger tax base, (I think this was originally Bobbie Coray's idea) but these are the problems I heard with that:
-The SSD would be under the county commissioners control and the current commissioners would not be likely to support the rec center, so it wouldn’t happen.
-An SSD wouldn’t have a general fund to help cover the operating costs the first year or two while it is “ramping up”.

If the option of an SSD is do-able, then I think it is better. I would have loved it if we would have explored this fully first before deciding to put this on the ballot. This was the biggest reason I was leaning towards a “no” vote last week.

However, when I learned that we are not obligated to take the bond then I switched and decided to vote “yes”. I want it to pass just in case this is not an option. If it does pass, I hope town council will first pause and fully explore other financing options like an SSD. But if it for sure will not work, then town council can go forward with things without having to wait another year. I also heard town council would explore options like corporate sponsors to help fund it so we don’t have to use much of the bond.

Maybe this is putting to much faith in our town council, but because I know all five of them personally I feel like I can trust them. If this was the federal or state government I'd vehemently vote "no" until it was proposed perfectly.

Question #3: Is the timing on this right?

My answer: I’d say yes, but only because the town council has 5 years to decide how and if to take the bond money.

Originally I wondered about this. I originally thought the city should wait one more year because of the unknowns about who will be running this country and the potential of a recession, but I didn’t know that the city doesn’t HAVE to take the bond if it passes, and has the five years to decide.

Again, I would hope our town council would at least wait until January to even begin discussing whether or not to move forward with the rec center. Town council should wait and see what happens with the election and its effects on the economy.

Question #4: If this doesn’t pass, can we do some more research and propose it again?

My Answer:
Technically "yes", but psychologically probably "no".

If the rec center only gets a few yes votes then I’d be willing to bet this rec center idea goes away for a long time. The town council will assume not enough people want it and not pursue it. (Incidentally, I think this is fine. If people really do hate the idea of a rec center then the democratic process should allow them to say so. This wouldn’t be the end of the world if it happened.)

In reality I actually highly doubt the rec center bond even has a chance of passing.

By default people vote no to things that increase taxes. So it is an uphill battle. Then the majority will not likely become informed enough to consider that there could be enough benefits to justify the tax. Then there is a ton of misinformation floating around that will cause some who would have voted yes to instead vote no. Then there are some people who justifiably will vote no because it will personally not benefit them at all. So that leaves very few people who might vote yes.

If it happened to lose by a small amount, then I think the city might try it again. However, at this point, I am not sure what they could propose differently to get enough yes votes.
So if you like the idea of the rec center but just have a specific problem with the way it is on the ballot you could vote yes and kindly make your point to the town council why you need such and such changed. either that or if it doesn’t pass be vocal that you do want the rec center but you want “such and such” changed.

Question #5: Can Garden City afford it?

My Answer:
I don’t know.

Darin Pugmire raises some very valid concerns in his facebook posts. He pointed out some infrastructure things coming up in the future that could be pricey and I hope the city is not going to have raise taxes again to cover those costs. If it came down to covering those costs without raising taxes or the rec center, then I would say no to the rec center.

But again, I would hope that the town council would be wise enough that if this passed they would look at these issues and look at a feasibility study that would take these issues into account before proceeding to take the bond money and do the rec center. I do wish this would have been done before it was put on the ballot though. Again, it is easier for me to put faith in the town council to make the right choice because I know them.

Question #6: Should a government entity build such a facility?

My Answer: I don’t know.

I am torn on this one. I do believe in limited government and that the primary function of government is to secure the inalienable rights and freedoms of individuals. But I also believe it should do things to support public health and safety. I am also not against things that government can do that lift the standards of living for everyone. I fully acknowledge this could be a slippery slope. I am not sure where the line gets drawn, but I am glad that at least this is getting put to a vote (albeit only for those who can vote – see my question #1) instead of being left to only a few to decide.

On the one hand, almost universally towns and cities in the US support things like roads, schools, and parks. As was pointed out by Jennifer Huefner, a rec center is basically an indoor park. And I do see the positive effects of green spaces, play places, and things that contribute to health (especially with the enormous rise of obesity).

On the other hand, could a rec center be provided by a private business and is this directly competing with that? Government shouldn’t compete with free market.

Rightly so, people have pointed out that if this facility could have been built and been profitable it would have been done, although you could also argue that isn’t true…not everything that is a good business venture is automatically developed; it is only developed if there is an entrepreneur with the free time and resources is willing to do it. I don’t see anyone showing interest in building a rec center, and should we bank on someone wanting to do it eventually?

There are very few things municipalities can legally do (in the state of Utah) and building a rec center is one of them. I think that is for a good reason.

I know some have said this facility can do a lot to support public safety too by being a safe-shelter to gather in during or after a natural disaster. This would be a really good thing for the area. If something big happened during the summer, it would be nice to have a large public facility for gathering.

(Assuming you agree with my thoughts on the role of government) does the rec center support public health and safety and do things to lift the standards of living enough to make it okay for a government entity to do it? I think that is going to be different for everyone.

In summary:
I think I am in the minority that know our town council well enough that I have put my faith in them to do the right thing if this somehow passed. I have been to most of the town council meetings the last two years, including the last several months of meetings (or talked to them after the meeting) in which this has been discussed so I know some of the background and why things happened the way they did. Yes, they could have done things a different way and it might have been better. Hindsight is 20/20.

So I do understand why someone would vote no on this. Which is fine. Like I mentioned I have little hope of this passing, but I hope that my thoughts will help give this a greater chance of having a second chance in the future. Hopefully this post will at least helped you make a more informed decision whether that is now or on a future vote about the rec center if there is one.

I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas (as long as you are kind, civil, and logical). Please share them with me via Facebook.

Respectfully,

Joey Stocking
Garden City Resident