ST. GEORGE — In the mid-1990s, voters approved a multimillion bond focused on trails, parks and other recreational facilities that paved the way for installations like the Fields at Little Valley and the Sand Hollow Aquatics Center.

Now city officials are asking residents to vote in favor of a new bond this November so the work of building and maintaining new parks, trails and recreational facilities can continue.

A resolution to put the Trials, Parks and Recreation General Obligation Bond on the November ballot was unanimously approved by the St. George City Council during a regular meeting Thursday evening. It is a 25-year bond worth $29 million and is seen as a pending renewal of the original general obligation bond.

The property tax burden the new bond would bring is projected to be the same as city residents paid under the original bond, Robert Myers, who is a part of the city’s budget team, told the City Council. The owners of a home in St. George valued near $585,000 have paid $32.21 per year under the original bond and will continue to if the new bond passes, he said.

“Taxpayers would see no new impact on their tax bill,” Myers said, adding that residents may even see that part of their property tax bill go down as more people move in and are added to the city’s taxpayer base.

There are currently over 30 projects spread across the city that the bond would fund if passed. Among these are new trails and trail connections like Black Hills, Fort Pierce Wash, Rim Rock and others.

New parks include the Springs, Los Colinas and Curly Hollow. Improvements to many existing parks are also proposed. This includes performance stages and new restrooms at Vernon Worthen Park and Town Square, the expansion of the Thunder Junction All-Abilities Park and new playground equipment and pickleball courts at Boots Cox Family Park.

Recreational facilities like the Dixie Sunbowl, the Hollow Aquatic Center and the Canyons Softball Complex are also slated for improvement.

While the bond’s primary purpose is to fund the listed projects, Myers noted there is a measure of flexibility regarding the use of the bond funds. However, that use must still be related to parks, trails and recreation.

Councilwoman Michelle Tanner, who voted in favor of putting the bond on the ballot with the rest of the council, thanked Myers and city staff for their work on presenting the bond and its purpose while also maintaining transparency for the voters.

“Contrary to what I’ve heard, I am not anti-parks; I can certainly see the pros and the benefits of this,” Tanner said. “If fact, what’s really important is maintaining our current infrastructure, and I really like that a lot of this does go toward maintaining those current facilities and parks that we have.”

Tanner added that she believes the voters should be educated on all sides of the issue, including how much the bond will cost the city in the long run.

Though the bond is for $29 million, Myers confirmed the overall cost of paying for it would be $45 million.

This is noted on a website about the bond the city rolled out Friday afternoon and will also be on information sent to city residents.

“I really appreciate the transparency of the city in putting that information out to the public,” Tanner said.

Regarding the list of proposed projects and the level of flexibility the city has with the bond, Councilman Jimmie Hughes said the City Council should give the residents the confidence they will use the bond as intended.

“It’s important that when we put that list out, that the voters have some confidence that that’s what we’re going to do and will stick to that as much as possible,” he said.

Hughes also said that passage of the bond will help free up funds that may have been applied to parks otherwise toward public safety instead.

“I think this is a good win-win,” he said. “And I’m glad that the voters get to decide. That’s even better.”

A public hearing on the general obligation will be held at 5 p.m. on Oct. 19 at St. George City Hall, 175 E. 200 West.

The general election is set for Nov. 21, with mail-in ballots being sent at the end of October.

For additional information on the bond and the proposed list of projects it would fund, as well as a rundown of projects the previous bond funded, visit the city of St. George’s Trails, Parks and Recreation Bond website.

In other business, the City Council approved the design for a 12-room boutique hotel called the STG Inn to be built on the corner of 184 North and 200 West. This item was previously tabled due to concerns over the hotel’s roof not being set back. After being presented with two other design options, the council approved the original design.

After a lengthy discussion, the council adopted a new ordinance governing the creation and maintenance of food truck parks in the city. This came about following the submission to the city of an application for creating a food truck park at 185 N. Bluff St. The adoption of the ordinance allows the project to move ahead.

An agreement between the city and the Utah Department of Transportation was approved for the installation of a traffic signal at 1300 West on Sunset Boulevard. While it will be a UDOT project, the city will cover $120,000 of the project’s estimated $420,000 price tag. No timetable was given on when motorists may see a light at the intersection beyond it being several months away.

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