SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County's Proposal 1 was the last thing on the minds of residents of the High Rise of Multi-Ethnic Corporation on Wednesday afternoon.
They were immersed in Latin music being performed by Royal Heritage Music, with Carlos Garcia on the harp and Jose Bonilla on flamenco guitar.
"It's wonderful. It's good for your soul," said Stella Mzilikazi, a resident of the apartment complex for eight years.
"I was very sad this morning, and now I smile," she said. "It makes me happy."
That's the goal of Heart & Soul, a Salt Lake nonprofit organization that presents more than 750 live shows each year at nursing homes, senior centers, hospitals, centers for children with disabilities, mental health treatment centers, domestic violence shelters and prisons.
The nonprofit is one of 160 arts and cultural organizations, and more than 30 park and recreational facilities that receive zoo, arts and parks tax funding — one penny sales tax on every $10 spent in Salt Lake County, except on food purchases.
On Nov. 4, Salt Lake County voters will be asked whether to renew the ZAP tax, which is expected to raise about $19.5 million this year.
This is the third time voters have been asked whether the county can use a small portion of sales tax — 1/10th of 1 percent — to support programs and facilities that range from community festivals to large-scale organizations such as Utah's Hogle Zoo.
Salt Lake County residents first voted in 1996 to authorize the use of sales tax for zoo, arts and parks. The tax does not apply to the purchase of food.
Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams said he will vote for reauthorization of the ZAP tax.
"I think this is a great example of community building at its best, where the public has come forward and voted to support allocating one penny on every $10 on purchases they make and then commit that to community building through the arts, recreation and parks," McAdams said.
In 2004, 71 percent of Salt Lake County voters supported renewal of the ZAP tax, which was the same margin that the state supported the re-election of George W. Bush.
The Utah Taxpayers Association, however, opposes all forms of what it describes as "boutique taxes," calling them "poor policy."
"Rather than allowing these 'guaranteed' priorities to compete against other potentially more important spending priorities, (recreation, arts and parks) taxes fund these condoned priorities regardless of their relative merits," according to the association's website.
McAdams said not only have voters twice authorized the ZAP tax, but volunteers vet funding requests and make final funding recommendations to the Salt Lake County Council.
"To me, it's very clear this money has been spent responsibly for the greatest possible impact in our community, and it’s my hope the voters will entrust it with us for another 10 years," he said.
ZAP tax helps fund arts and cultural organizations large and small, as well recreational facilities across the valley and trails from the Jordan River Trail to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
"These are amenities to our thriving metropolis that make this place a great place to live, a great place to raise families and a great place to grow old. ZAP is really the underpinning of that," McAdams said.
ZAP tax is a "seed investment" that supports the infrastructure of nonprofit organizations that provide arts and cultural programming across the county, he said.
"ZAP is really the shoestring budget that supports much broader investment from individuals with their time and money," McAdams said.
According to Salt Lake County's ZAP program website, more than 3.8 million people receive free admission to arts or cultural activities supported by ZAP, and more than 20,000 educational events are produced by ZAP grantees.
At the high-rise complex, ZAP tax brings music — and a connection to the larger community — to residents in their latter years. Many of them have been homeless, said Janet Burton, service coordinator of the high-rise, which is owned and operated by the Utah Non Profit Housing Corporation.
"They don't have the money to go to an opera, a play or a concert. When people come here to entertain them, they're so appreciative," Burton said.
Bonilla said performing for seniors at the Multi Ethnic high-rise "does something for yourself, too.
"Music is life. You want to do something for people that gives them life."
Email: marjorie@deseretnews.com