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Tax reform advocates fear a legislative task force has lost momentum and, without a jump-start, will fail to bring meaningful change to Utah's antiquated tax code.

Supporters counting on a reform package being ready for action by the Legislature in January were shocked at Senate President John Valentine's reportedly pessimistic view of action on tax reform.

Valentine, who did not return calls Thursday, was quoted Sunday in Provo's Daily Herald saying the task force was bogged down in the details of Utah's tax code and might fail to finish its recommendations before its November deadline.

Though many political insiders have been skeptical of the task force's ambitious goals, Valentine's comments mark the first public criticism. The powerful senator also commented that a preliminary task force proposal for a simple and flat-income tax is regressive, would kill charitable giving and hurt retirees and, consequently, has started to fall apart.

Keith Prescott, a tax accountant, a member of former Gov. Olene Walker's study group on tax reform and an "unofficial tax adviser" to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., said Valentine's public comments undermined the task force.

"I found it very disappointing. It was almost like [Valentine] went out of his way to hurt it," Prescott said in an interview Thursday.

Rep. Wayne Harper, R-West Jordan, House chairman of the task force, would not comment directly on the Valentine quotes, but says he remains optimistic.

"We are intending to continue on with the tax reform and explore every option and come back with recommendations," Harper said. "With any great project, you have things come up. We have to go on with the task force's work."

But Salt Lake Rep. Ralph Becker, a Democratic member of the Task Force, said the public has lost faith the task force will accomplish anything cohesive and fair in revamping the tax law, which is riddled with special-interest exemptions.

"I've heard from every major affected interest that they have lost confidence in the task force," Becker said. "They are not confident that something meaningful is coming out of it. And if they have to, they'll kill it during the [lawmaking] session."

Becker worries about losing a rare opportunity to overhaul Utah's system.

"If we do not take advantage of this time that we are all focused on reform, then I don't think we've accomplished our mission to produce a comprehensive, restructured reform of the tax system," he said.

Utah Tax Commission Chairwoman Pam Hendrickson, also a member of the task force, said Valentine's published comments "discouraged me a bit because I was hopeful that we could get some things done. . . . Maybe I'm Pollyanna, but I think we're going to get some changes in income tax and we're going to get some changes in sales tax."

Prescott and others hope the governor, who has overwhelming public support, will inject new energy into the reform work.

"He needs to take this to the people," Prescott said. "Once the people understand they won't be gouged by this reform, they will accept it."

But Huntsman spokeswoman Tammy Kikuchi said the governor "really wants the task force to have the freedom to have the opportunity to develop their recommendations."

As for going public to propel the work of the task force, Kikuchi said the governor already has been vocal in support. "At every turn, he says the current tax structure is antiquated and out of date and needs to be reformed to meet the needs of a new economy," she said. "But he wants [the task force] to have the latitude to do their work."

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, a member of the task force and registered lobbyist for the Utah Taxpayers Association, said the task force will bring meaningful change to the tax code, at least in important areas. "There will be significant changes for, at least, a flatter individual income tax," he said.