Current City Councilwoman Jenney Rees — who is also a candidate for Mayor — is surprisingly asking Cedar Hills residents to Vote on themselves and their neighbors a Tax Increase!  This from an Administration known for not allowing financial facts ($$ LOSSES) to the voters.  No wonder the City wants / "needs" more money.  

CHCRG was designated by the City — upon our request — to provide the AGAINST argument countering Jenney Rees' desire to raise taxes.  See separate post at …

 

Proposition #7 Argument…

Vote FOR the PARC Tax 

The City Council of the City of Cedar Hills, Utah has approved the provision of placing the opinion question of a Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Cultural (PARC) Tax on the November 7, 2017, ballot. 

If approved, the PARC Tax would add an additional 0.1% tax on all retail items sold in Cedar Hills, which means that for every $10 spent in a retail establishment within Cedar Hills, the city would assess a tax of one penny. By collecting this small sales tax, residents and non-residents who shop in Cedar Hills assist in generat-ing funds for parks, arts, and recreational opportunities within the city. While this tax is minimal, it has the ability to have a large positive impact on our community and quality life, making Cedar Hills an even more desirable place to live. 

Our city still has three potential parks listed in the General Plan, including the 11.5 acres of land recently pur-chased next to Deerfield Elementary. PARC tax funds can be used to help with the completion of these parks, as well as the trail system that connects them. This tax would go into effect on January 1, 2018, and be in place for 10 years. 

Up until last year, the city had collected this tax, then known as a CARE tax. The funds collected from this tax averaged about $40,000 per year of revenue for the city. These funds were used to: 

 Install a basketball court at Heritage Park 

 Help with the completion of the Community Center basement, which added two rooms used for activities such as karate classes, theater and singing classes, and art classes 

 Install a restroom at Mesquite Park 

 Coordinate community events hosted by the Arts Committee, such as the children’s art contest annual date night, and the Concert in the Park series. 

 Complete Bayhill Park 

These funds are not used to subsidize city recreation programs, such as soccer or basketball. Cedar Hills’ recre-ation programs are funded through fees charged to participants, and are not subsidized through PARC tax, or any other tax. 

Instituting this small retail tax, with a sunset provision, is a wise way to raise revenue needed for our parks, trails, recreational facilities, and community events, and to maintain the open space enjoyed by Cedar Hills res-idents. We hope you will support these efforts and vote YES on the PARC tax. 

 

Jenney Rees 

10258 Bayhill Drive 

Cedar Hills, UT 84062 

801-358-8730 

jenneyrees@gmail.com 

__________

 

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION #7 

by Jerry Dearinger and Friends at CHCRG

 

Cedar Hills Citizens for Responsible Government are surprised that Councilwoman & Candidate for Mayor Jenney Rees (elected 2011) is willing to publicly expose that she and many City officials are in FAVOR of raising your taxes – when we already voted NO! 

Regrettably, City Officials have proven incapable of wise spending, keeping promises and quickly paying off City debt – and have tried to hide financial facts from Cedar Hills voters for years. 

Home-builders were forced by the City to collect $2.9 million in Impact Fees for ten years, promising to build a “Rec Center / Pool." When the City Council instead built a Golf Club House / Grill / Wedding Reception Center, – the Utah Home Builders Association sued the City. The City knew it was wrong, as proven by the lawsuit it “settled out of court.” This cost Cedar Hills taxpayers an additional $190,000, not to mention wast-ed staff time, legal fees – and still NO Rec Center or Pool. (See our November 19, 2012 posting, and other articles at www.CedarHillsCitizens.org.) 

Friends, there is no end to the “good” this City Council can do with YOUR money. It’s time to Just Say NO! 

It’s time they tighten their own belts, and stop asking for more money. Let’s not fall for more broken promis-es. Let’s replace tax & spend politicians, and get out of debt. VOTE AGAINST the NEW PARC TAX. 

 

To learn of CHCRG's authored argument AGAINST tax increase please see…

 http://www.cedarhillscitizens.org/chcrg-encourages…sed-new-parc-tax/

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