VOTE YES on Prop 21 Reauthorize RAP Sales Tax this November!

As Summit County residents, we take pride in our sense of place and local identity built on history, culture, and our natural surroundings. Many of us choose to live in Summit County due to the exceptional quality of life we enjoy here. A priority for Summit County is to support the infrastructures that support that lifestyle. This support comes in providing resources through RAP Tax to build, maintain and support recreational facilities, cultural organizations and trail systems.

20 years ago, Summit County residents voted to levy a local, non-food, sales and use tax of 1/10th of 1 cent to fund Recreation, Arts and Parks (RAP Tax). RAP Tax was reauthorized 10 years ago, and it’s time to renew it again. This is an opportunity for our community to invest in the future of our recreation, arts, and parks programs and amenities that we enjoy because of the RAP Tax. RAP Tax is a sales tax of only one penny on every $10 dollars spent in Summit County. Over half of RAP Tax is paid by visitors but directly benefits Summit County residents. RAP Tax is not a new tax; rather, it’s a simple renewal of an existing, critical funding source for county-wide recreation and arts.

Since 2000, over $20 million in RAP grants have enabled cultural, parks and recreational organizations throughout Summit County to improve their programs and facilities to make Summit County an incredible place to call home. RAP funding supports the Oakley Rodeo, South Summit Aquatic Center, Coalville & South Summit High recreation facilities, Summit County Fair, the MARC, Park City Ice Arena, Skateboard Parks, Mountain Town Music, Egyptian Theatre, Alf Engen Ski Museum, Kimball Art Center, Deer Valley Music Festival, Park City Film—and the list goes on. 

As Executive Director of the Arts Council of Park City & Summit County, I am a vocal advocate for community support of arts and culture. It connects and unifies all areas of the County. COVID-19 severely impacted recreation and arts programs. It is critical to protect and fortify our recitation and arts entities which are major employers and essential components of our tourism economy. They will be a key to rebuilding. I firmly believe that if RAP tax is discontinued, our community will feel the negative effects for years to come. 

If you have hiked or biked our amazing trail systems, enjoyed a summer evening concert at Deer Valley or an intimate concert, musical, or comedy show at the historic Egyptian Theatre, or enjoyed the wide range of recreation and cultural heritage facilities in North Summit, South Summit, and Snyderville Basin, then you experienced the benefits of RAP Tax funding. 

I hope you’ll join me in voting to provide a critical source of revenue for Recreation, Arts, and Parks by voting FOR the reauthorization of RAP Sales Tax.