State lawmakers on the Water Issues Task Force voted Monday to recommend a 15 percent earmark on future sales tax growth to help fund a controversial water pipeline from Lake Powell to St. George. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, Washington County says it’s running out of water, but opponents say the water would be going to waste while the rest of the state pays for it.
Having worked in both city and state government, Democratic Senator Ben McAdams is now looking to add Salt Lake County to that list, becoming the latest candidate to enter the race for county mayor on Monday. Like Senate Minority Leader Ross Romero, one of his opponents in the race to succeed incumbent Peter Corroon, McAdams is an attorney by trade. He’s also senior advisor to Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker.
With only five in the Senate and 13 in the House of Representatives, the Utah Legislature ranks 43rd among the states for the number of women lawmakers. But a new initiative from the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics and the YWCA of Salt Lake City aims to get more Utah women into government and public policy-making.
Salt Lake County Recorder Gary Ott wants a new job in 2012. Today, the 60-year-old was the first Republican to officially announce his candidacy for Salt Lake County Mayor.
Segment 1: No new property taxes and continued belt-tightening. That’s the message Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon delivered during his budget address this week, saying budgets are “as tight as they can get.” Corroon joins Jennifer to talk money and his hot-button proposal to fold the independently-elected County Auditor’s Office into the…
A proposal to move budgeting and accounting functions from the independently-elected Salt Lake County Auditor’s office to the Mayor’s control could cost the county a lawsuit, and according to Auditor Gregory Hawkins, its coveted AAA bond rating. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, the auditor is threatening to sue the county if the plan goes forward, saying it will be a slow, legally risky, expensive and disruptive process.
In addition to a six-percent budget cut to fill a $17 million hole, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon’s 2012 budget proposal shifts property taxes to the Unified Police Department, thereby eliminating an unpopular police fee without raising taxes. And that’s good news to Sheriff Jim Winder, who says unincorporated county residents were getting tired of being told their taxes were going to be increased or they wouldn’t see fire and police.
Cottonwood Heights Mayor Kelvin Cullimore says he’s hoping developer Terry Diehl will reconsider building in his city now that it may re-zone his Tavaci development at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon.
While Utah lawmakers once again drew their own boundaries this year, the Salt Lake County Council embarked on a different path, allowing an independent commission to re-draw the county’s six districts. Now that process is complete, with the council voting Tuesday to adopt one of the commission’s redistricting plans, which will be in place for the next 10 years.
A federal mandate could potentially bring more Spanish-speaking Salt Lake County residents to the polls in 2012. The U.S. Census Bureau announced Wednesday a list of political jurisdictions across the nation that are now required to provide language assistance for non-English speaking voters based on new census data. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, the change will put more pressure on the county, but likely garner more participation from Hispanic voters.
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