This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah County cities would be able to raise local sales taxes to improve local roads — without being forced at the same time to raise taxes for the Utah Transit Authority — under a bill popping up on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, introduced HB367 on Wednesday.
In 2015, the Legislature allowed residents of counties where transit districts operate to vote on raising sales tax for transportation by 0.25 cent per $1 purchase — with 0.1 cent going to UTA or a similar transit district; 0.1 cent going to cities for roads; and .05 of a cent going to the county.
The resulting Prop 1 was defeated in the large Salt Lake and Utah counties largely over controversy about giving more money to UTA, which had faced criticism over high executive pay, extensive travel by officials and sweetheart deals for developers.
"There's no question" that UTA pulled down Prop 1 in Utah County, Daw said. "All the polls show that. It was essentially a referendum on UTA. Good or bad, that's just what it was."
He said Utah County cities still desperately need money for roads, so he wants to separate votes on streets and the UTA. He said he's confident a tax hike to improve roads would pass.
"It may be a while before the UTA portion would be ready for Utah County," he said.
His bill would not include Salt Lake County, just second-class-size counties that have yet to pass Prop 1. That would be Utah County and Washington County (where a small transit agency operates in St. George).