CEDAR CITY – Cedar City has $110,000 in unspent Recreational Arts and Parks tax money, but before a check can be issued the council must first amend the city’s ordinance.
Council members discussed amending the ordinance Wednesday night during their work meeting to determine how to disburse the money. An ordinance outlining how a RAP tax surplus can be spent was previously unnecessary since the RAP fund’s balance has never been this large, Mayor Maile Wilson said.
The council agreed to move the proposed ordinance to next week’s agenda for approval.
The RAP tax is an additional one-tenth-of-one percent sales tax levied on all purchases within the city. The tax was approved years ago by the voters to fund various projects in the areas of recreation, arts and parks.
The $110,000 is a fund balance accrued over several years from unspent RAP monies that drew interest, City Attorney Paul Bittmenn said.
The council agreed the amended ordinance would allow for the surplus money to be allocated as usual via an application process. However, rather than making it available to the private sector, the proposal would only allow city department heads to apply for the funding limited to city projects and facilities.
“It’s an ordinance allowing the distribution of the RAP tax money. The only difference is it has to be a RAP tax qualified project for a city facility,” Wilson said.
In other business, the council heard requests for a beer license, Bed and Breakfast, and final plat approvals for two different housing developments.
The council also discussed a proposed trailhead with Bureau of Land Management representatives.
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