This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Over the last several years, the Utah Legislature has been discussing healthcare expansion. Unfortunately, many of the discussions and decisions have been made behind closed doors. The best decisions occur with a vigorous debate and discussion with good public participation. There seems to be a tendency for governments to discourage public discussion.

This last week, the Salt Lake City Council agreed to give a tax credit to the Miller family for spending almost $100 million on the Utah Jazz arena upgrade. The tax credit would apply to the increased property tax valuation caused by the upgrade to the arena. It could be as much as $22 million. In an interview, the Miller family implied that the City Council, sitting as the RDA Board, would not have a problem with the proposal and had already made their decision.

Although that implication was denied, the perception is still there, that the Salt Lake City Council members had a meeting with the Miller Company and had a well received presentation without public notice or involvement. The public learned about the proposal just a few days before the vote to approve it.

The Larry H. Miller family is one of the most respected families in Utah. Their project is the least expensive and most financially responsible project for an arena upgrade in the last few decades. Most projects require a lot of public taxpayer funding and the proposals generally result in much fighting and backlash. But the lack of respectful notice and participation for what will become (through increased valuation and property tax) taxpayer funds is similar to closed-door meetings or meetings without almost any public participation. Many governments tend to act like they don't like or trust public involvement and discussion. There is a good argument that the taxpayer funds could be better used for focusing on solving homeless problems in the area.

Another argument is why do taxpayers have to subsidize a very successful private company upgrade.

The Salt Lake City Council has a work session with no public comment (the RDA did have a public comment period that almost no one knows about) that sometimes results in decisions. When the City Council voted to close the Par 3 golf course, they did it with a work session straw poll.

Salt Lake County Council work sessions do allow public comment. But to find it online, one has to know that it is called the Committee of the Whole (on the pmn.utah.gov website).

Big budget projects should have more public input and a vote.

Re-targeting bonds to the downtown Salt Lake City theater and the recent Salt Lake County decision to move jail bond funding to another use, without a public vote, upset many. No matter how justified the plan, a vigorous public debate and vote will result in a better decision. When the Wasatch Front Regional Council voted to approve the Regional Transportation Plan, few knew about and commented on it, despite the fact that $11 billion in questionable rail and mass transit projects were listed as goals for Utah taxpayers. UTA recently tried to close some of their meetings which resulted in pressure from the Salt Lake County Council to hold up funding. It resulted in re-opening the meetings that the public should have access to.

Decisions that involve public funding or public impact like road diets, bike lanes, rail lines and parking meters deserve the respect of a public hearing. Without government meetings being open and convenient to the public, good decisions suffer.

When government tries to keep decisions behind closed doors, good decisions and good government suffers. The more open the discussion, the better the decision. One of the reasons for the success of this country is the vigorous and open free speech and free press which encourages discussion, debate and consideration. It leads to better decisions.

Salt Lake City, UTA, the Legislature and all governments should be more open in their decisions and trust vigorous public debate and votes.

George Chapman is a retired engineer, former naval officer, activist and former Salt Lake City mayoral candidate.