This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
When ballots go out to Salt Lake County residents on Oct. 5, they will contain an insert advising voters where they can get more information about Proposition 1, the proposal to raise sales taxes a quarter-cent for local transportation projects.
Residents will be advised that they can read arguments for and against the proposed tax hike — along with each side's rebuttals of the opposition's points — in three ways:
• On Salt Lake County's website, http://www.slco.org
• On the Utah lieutenant governor's website, elections.utah.gov
• Or by asking Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen's office to mail a printed copy of the voter information pamphlet to their home. Requests may be made by phone, 385-468-7400, or email, GOT-VOTE@slco.org.
The county is not required to go to these lengths to inform voters, Swensen told the County Council on Tuesday. The Utah law governing this vote only mandates that educational materials be posted on the state's website.
But even though the county will pick up a bill of $14,000 to print the inserts — and could pay out another $3,500 if many voters ask for a pamphlet to be mailed to their homes — the County Council unanimously opted to broaden the notification.
"None of us likes spending [more] money, but to err on the side of providing more information for voters is important," said County Council Chairman Richard Snelgrove, a Republican.
Democratic Councilman Arlyn Bradshaw agreed, adding it's crucial to provide an option of written materials for people who might not have computers for reading education materials online.
"It's important," he said, "to provide educational information to as many voters as possible."
In a separate matter related to the Nov. 3 election, the County Council learned Tuesday that two representatives of unincorporated residents in the southern Salt Lake Valley are not satisfied with the information a county consultant provided about the financial implications of the Community Preservation vote.
In that vote, residents of four dozen islands of unincorporated land will be voting whether to stay unincorporated or to annex into an adjacent city, while voters in six townships will decide whether to become a city or a metro township and then, just as importantly, whether to join a municipal services district the county established Tuesday to provide public works projects.
Ron Faerber of the Sandy Hills Community Council and Willow Creek resident David Green objected that figures supplied by the public finance division of Zions Bank "inaccurately" made it look like annexation to Sandy would be cheaper for residents of unincorporated islands than maintaining the status quo.
"When I reviewed the [financial information] on Friday night, it ruined my weekend," said Green, an advocate for keeping Willow Creek unincorporated.
He maintained that the bank's evaluation left out a number of fees imposed by Sandy City and did not take into consideration its level of debt, which is higher than the county's.
"This report doesn't even come close to a total cost comparison," added Faerber, asking the county to insert a statement into a voter information pamphlet for this election [one will be mailed to every voting household in the unincorporated area] declaring "this is not a full picture."
"We've only gotten a limited snapshot picture," he argued. "That sends the wrong message, an incorrect message, that it is less costly to live in [a city.]"
Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton, who has been active in efforts to distribute accurate information about the election, said she will make sure the consultants address those concerns.
The financial analysis is available on the county's website, http://www.slco.org/community-preservation/financial-information/.
It will be discussed in greater detail at a series of town hall meetings on the Community Preservation election that began Tuesday night in Copperton. Emigration Canyon Township will be the focal point of Wednesday's meeting at the canyon fire station, while Millcreek Township's session is Thursday at Skyline High School. Both start at 6:30 p.m.
The town hall dealing with the unincorporated islands of concern to Faerber and Green will take place Sept. 28 at Eastmont Middle School. Meetings next week are Monday in Kearns, Thursday in Magna and Friday in White City Township.
Nichole Dunn's replacement
Lori Bays has been promoted to deputy mayor and chief administrative officer for Salt Lake County.
Bays was one of county Mayor Ben McAdams' first executive hires, signing on as department of human services director in 2013. Before that, she was an executive in San Diego County's health and human services agency, overseeing 5,000 employees and a $2 billion budget.
"I'm pleased Lori has agreed to take on this new responsibility," McAdams said of her greater role as the replacement for Nichole Dunn, who is moving to Washington, where her husband, Donald, has taken a development job with a Georgetown University medical center.
"[Bays] has played an important role in helping ensure that Salt Lake County families live in safe, healthy communities," he added. "I expect in her new position she'll support our team in doing even more."
The new job begins Sept. 22.