During its meeting Tuesday evening, the Eagle Mountain City Council formally voted in favor of placing the proposed tax option on the ballot for citizens to decide on.

If approved, the measure will implement a 0.1% local sales tax, equivalent to one cent for every $10 spent within Eagle Mountain city limits. The funds will be used as a dedicated funding source for recreation, arts and parks-related programs and facilities, according to city officials.

Most cities in Utah County already have a similar tax in place, including neighboring Saratoga Springs, where residents there voted to enact it last November.

Tyler Maffitt, communications manager for Eagle Mountain, said the city worked with the Utah State Tax Commission earlier this year to perform an analysis to explore the benefits of implementing a RAP tax.

“What we learned through that process was that if Eagle Mountain had a RAP tax in place in calendar (year) 2024, around $600,000 in revenue would have been generated,” Maffitt said during a presentation of the measure before the City Council on Tuesday.

If voters approve the measure in November, the RAP tax would go into effect in 2026 and will remain in place for 10 years, according to the city’s website.

Also included in the proposal is the creation of a resident-led RAP Tax Advisory Board. The committee would review funding proposals and make recommendations to the City Council through its annual budget process.

However, any final decisions of how RAP tax funds are allocated will be at the discretion of the City Council.

A public hearing on the matter was not held Tuesday, but residents who want to weigh in on the proposed RAP tax will have opportunities to do so before election day on Nov. 5.

Maffitt said the city will solicit via social media and its website arguments in favor of or against the measure in early September. A public hearing is tentatively planned for Oct. 7.

“Our role is to make sure the public has access to accurate, transparent information before the vote,” he noted.

City Councilmember Jared Gray reiterated during Tuesday’s meeting that it will be the citizens of Eagle Mountain who ultimately decide on the implementation of a RAP tax.

“This is the opportunity for the voters to choose whether or not they want this. I believe that’s a great path and I’m not saying whether I advocate for or against it — just saying for the voters to choose,” he said.

Residents are encouraged to learn more about proposed RAP tax at eaglemountain.gov.