This week, Salt Lake County’s new 0.2% sales tax takes effect (KSL.com, Feb 2025) — just in time for Utahns to celebrate independence from unfair taxation.
Maybe the timing is practical (new fiscal year), but the result is the same: Salt Lake City’s total sales tax rate is now nearly a full percentage point higher than it was last summer.
Here’s the kicker: this isn’t just “the county.” Last year, a Republican state Legislature passed SB272 (Utah SB 272). A majority-Democrat City Council made it real. The same Legislature passed another law adding 0.2% for county infrastructure (HB 0502). Then the County Council stacked this final 0.2% as a quiet substitute for a failed property tax bond (KSL.com, Feb 2025) — all while we’re told there’s no better option.
Meanwhile, Utah’s leaders love to wave charts about our top rankings — fastest growing, “best state for business,” you name it. Here’s one they skip: Salt Lake’s sales tax now outranks San Francisco’s (Axios, Oct 2024).
Both parties brag about flashy arena districts and Olympic dreams. The bill lands on us — while wages stall and real local problems like recidivism, homelessness and public safety struggle for scraps.
If leaders want to raise our taxes, prove it’s for real solutions, not ribbon cuttings and PR boosts. And if they think nobody notices, they’re wrong.
This November, voters should remember exactly who stacked the stealth taxes while we were busy buying fireworks.
Scott Johnson, Sandy
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