Hatch rails against TRAX cut
Tinker with TRAX and face the wrath of Hatch.
Well, not Orrin, but Joe Hatch is pledging to hijack Salt Lake County's support for a sales tax proposal unless the measure provides enough money for all four TRAX extensions, as the county envisioned.
The Democratic Salt Lake County councilman is livid over language in the GOP-planned legislative proposal that would force the county to funnel 25 percent of the funds to corridor preservation, thus derailing one or more of the TRAX lines.
"This is Curtis' way of screwing the county," Hatch said about House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy. "This may be the straw that broke Joe's back."
The Legislature is expected to back the tax scheme -- it may help accelerate commuter rail construction for Utah County -- in a special session Tuesday.
Hatch, a passionate transit advocate, argues that Salt Lake County voters may reject any plan that paralyzes TRAX. Just in case, he's vowing to lobby on their behalf.
"I could probably cause it to lose a few percentage points off the top," he said. "It needs a 75 percent vote in Salt Lake City. Without unanimous support of the [Democratic] leadership, it doesn't get that."
Most egregious, Hatch argues, is that state lawmakers persuaded county leaders to place an $895 million property tax question on November's ballot for TRAX only to change the rules near the end of the game.
"I'm getting the impression the Legislature just doesn't care," Hatch said.
Derek P. Jensen
Well, not Orrin, but Joe Hatch is pledging to hijack Salt Lake County's support for a sales tax proposal unless the measure provides enough money for all four TRAX extensions, as the county envisioned.
The Democratic Salt Lake County councilman is livid over language in the GOP-planned legislative proposal that would force the county to funnel 25 percent of the funds to corridor preservation, thus derailing one or more of the TRAX lines.
"This is Curtis' way of screwing the county," Hatch said about House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy. "This may be the straw that broke Joe's back."
The Legislature is expected to back the tax scheme -- it may help accelerate commuter rail construction for Utah County -- in a special session Tuesday.
Hatch, a passionate transit advocate, argues that Salt Lake County voters may reject any plan that paralyzes TRAX. Just in case, he's vowing to lobby on their behalf.
"I could probably cause it to lose a few percentage points off the top," he said. "It needs a 75 percent vote in Salt Lake City. Without unanimous support of the [Democratic] leadership, it doesn't get that."
Most egregious, Hatch argues, is that state lawmakers persuaded county leaders to place an $895 million property tax question on November's ballot for TRAX only to change the rules near the end of the game.
"I'm getting the impression the Legislature just doesn't care," Hatch said.
Derek P. Jensen
2:54 PM
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4 Comments:
I can't possibly understand Joe Hatch's comments. Under the proposal crafted by Speaker Curtis, UTA would be able to build 3 lines and commuter rail and have money for corridor preservation on Mountain View Corridor.
What is Joe's problem?
Independent analysis by national experts confirms that Utah faces a transportation crisis. Congestion will triple by 2030 if we don't invest now in transportation.
The Salt Lake Chamber -- Utah's largest and longest-serving business association -- supports balanced funding for roads and transit. We applaud local government leaders, legislative leaders, and the governor for their work in securing a special session. Speaker Curtis has been particularly helpful in this regard.
In the case of Salt Lake County, the county and the region will benefit from investment in TRAX expansion, commuter rail, corridor preservation and roads. Whether it is two, three or four TRAX lines, Salt Lake County will benefit, and future generations will thank us.
Local elected officials and the business community hosted a rally yesterday to reiterate their support for a proposal to make sales tax funding available for transit and highway projects. Today the Legislature will consider this proposal in the special session. The Utah Transit Authority appreciates the work done by so many these past months to consider transportation funding options and recognizes that these decisions are of great impact to the state of Utah.
In response to concerns expressed by local elected officials and the business community about pursuing a property tax initiative for transit, Speaker Curtis has been a leader in the effort to seek the necessary action from the Legislature. By so doing, the Speaker has not diminished options, but has offered a solution that replaces the property tax and makes sales tax available for transit funding.
With the current proposal providing for some of a new 1/4-cent sales tax to be directed to highway funding, the question has been raised regarding how that compares with the proposed $895 property tax bond. UTA estimates that if the sales tax rate for transit is increased to .62 in Salt Lake County (which means an additional .1825) that could produce over time an amount equal to or greater than the property tax proposal.
As requested by business leaders and local elected officials, the Speaker has provided leadership in advancing the sales tax option to potentially replace the property tax. UTA is grateful to the Speaker for his efforts toward transit funding specifically and transportation generally.
John M. Inglish
General Manager
Utah Transit Authority
I strongly disagree with Councilman Hatch’s basic premise that Speaker Curtis has attempted to hurt Salt Lake County or slow down TRAX expansion. The legislation that Speaker Curtis has championed will provide funding to make very substantial progress with both TRAX and commuter rail expansion, plus highway corridor preservation.
This approach is better than raising property taxes by nearly $1 billion just for four TRAX lines. Thanks to Speaker Curtis’ leadership and legislative action Tuesday afternoon and evening, critical transportation needs will be addressed statewide, instead of just in Salt Lake County, and local leaders will prioritize the projects. In an independent study, the 2015 Transportation Alliance identified numerous projects statewide that must be completed. This legislation makes faster progress toward that goal, rather than just focusing narrowly on transit in Salt Lake County.
The 2015 Alliance appreciates Speaker Curtis’ hard work and insightful leadership on this issue. Without his effort we would not be able to take this superior proposal to the voters. Thanks to him, Salt Lake County will be better off in the long run. The Speaker's actions reflect politics at its best -- working with all parties on a non-partisan basis to come up with the best solution for our state. This legislation will transform the goals of the 2015 Alliance into reality. Speaker Curtis deserves our appreciation rather than a partisan attack.
A. Scott Anderson
Co-chair, 2015 Transportation Alliance
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