Mayors from across the Wasatch front gathered in Midvale to voice their support for Proposition 1, a quarter of a cent sales tax increase that is being placed on ballots in sixteen counties this November.
The group of supporters of Proposition 1 included mayors, county commissioners, and business leaders who all say the tax increase will help them meet their growing transportation needs. The revenue from the increase will be split between counties, cities, and the Utah Transit Authority. Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams says voting for proposition one will help fix potholes, finish sidewalks, and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of local bus services.
“Part of our transportation future is to offer choices to people," McAdams says. "Some people need a car. Some people are going to use bus or train. And some people are going to bike or walk. And we’re trying to build a transportation infrastructure that accommodates options and choices for the public.”
While mayors from across the Wasatch front are in support of the increase, not everyone is happy that UTA would take nearly 40% of the generated revenue. Evelyn Everton is the Utah director of the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity.
“Our problem with that is that in the past, Utah Transit Authority has not been great stewards of our taxpayer dollars," Everton says. "It’s been very well documented, the waste, the fraud, the abuse that has happened there. And I think that voters should be well aware that this is where that money is going.”
To help eliminate some of the unsurety about what UTA will do with the money, their board recentlypassed a resolution declaring their intent to use it to increase bus service.
