POLITICS + GOVERNMENT
Opponents try to stop SLCO tax hike for UTA
Jun 23, 2018, 8:24 PM
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Opponents of a huge sales tax hike in Salt Lake County are not giving up without a fight.
A handful of council members from different cities in the county filed a complaint with the county clerk’s office, saying the $58 million sales tax hike did not get the support after all, because Sandy didn’t pass a resolution in support. Instead Sandy voted to send a letter of support.
“They approved that motion 4 to 3, but according to the Utah State code governing municipal procedure, that does not constitute a resolution,” states the complaint, obtained by the Deseret News Saturday.
The tax hike takes place if enough city councils support it. It’s the same tax hike voters rejected on the ballot in 2015. A lot of the money will go to the Utah Transit Authority.
The County may push the tax hike forward anyway, despite the complaint.
County Council Chairwoman Aimee Winder Newton wrote in an email to Pazell that “I believe county attorneys have already looked at this and decided that the Sandy letter counts toward the total since the Sandy City Council’s intent was clear,” but she also copied the county council’s attorney on the email so he “can let us know the status on Monday,” according to the email provided to the Deseret News by Pazell.
