Money well-spent
There are no comments for this page [ Add Comment ]Monday, January 21, 2008
If you're looking for an example of how a newly imposed government tax has improved quality of life, a logical place to start would be Weber County's Recreation, Arts, Museums and Parks tax.
More commonly known by its acronym, RAMP, the tenth-of-a-cent-per-dollar sales tax amounts to about $3 million per year. During its short life, it has already funded -- in 2006 and 2007 -- about 224 separate projects, from $1,100 to the Ogden Opera Guild to $333,000 toward Roy's Hope Community Center.
That's a lot of giving, and it's just what the RAMP tax was originally intended to do: boost the recreation, arts, museums and parks offerings and amenities throughout Weber County. The voters approved the tax -- which is due for renewal every eight years -- and volunteer, unpaid citizen committees make the decisions about who gets what and how much.
It's true, the Standard-Examiner Editorial Board urged passage of the RAMP tax in 2004. We were, of course, pleased when a majority of voters agreed with us. And we continue to be impressed with the way the RAMP grants are reviewed and bestowed on worthwhile groups and projects. For example, a county auditor follows each project from start to finish, verifying that the money is being spent, and that it's being spent precisely how the grant request said it would be spent.
Applications for RAMP grants are accepted from every conceivable entity. (See the rules for application and a list of the projects funded so far at www1.co.weber.ut.us/ramp/index.htm.) Then the applications are reviewed by county attorneys, and those that conform to the law regarding eligible recipients are passed along to the volunteer committees. The unpaid committee members then divide the applications by category, and they begin the review process by which they will eventually award grants of all sizes.
In a recent meeting with the Standard's editorial board, however, RAMP officials expressed concern that maybe there are groups in Weber County who have not yet applied for grants simply because they don't know how to write a grant proposal, or because they don't yet realize their particular projects would be eligible for RAMP grants.
We appreciate this proactive approach to dispensing the grants. RAMP volunteers want to make sure no worthwhile projects are being overlooked, and that's laudable.
So, if you know of any qualifying group -- check the Web site -- that would benefit from RAMP funds, make sure they know this resource may be available. It's already done so much good for all sorts of recreation, parks and culture in Weber County, and it will continue to do even more.
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