While Salt Lake City Library employees, volunteers and now fundraisers have vocally given their input on the controversy over Library Director Beth Elder, one person who’s mostly staying on the sidelines is Mayor Ralph Becker. The mayor says while he certainly has an interest in ensuring the library is successful, it’s the library board that has the power to hire and fire.
With the election coming up on Tuesday, November 8th and early voting starting next week, today we hosted a debate for Salt Lake City Council District 2. The west-side district includes neighborhoods like Glendale, Poplar Grove and Jackson, each with their own unique challenges and concerns. We were joined by incumbent Councilman Van Turner and challenger Kyle LaMalfa.
Utah’s second-largest city will likely have two representatives in Congress after the 2012 election. West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder says he was surprised to learn that legislators had passed a congressional map that split his city in half.
Big changes are coming for drivers in downtown Salt Lake City. Monday, the city began a pilot test of new solar-powered parking stations, which would replace traditional parking meters. KCPW’s Jessica Gail explains how the new stations work, and what they could cost the city.
One hundred years. That’s how long it’s been since the founding of The Rotary Club of Salt Lake City. Like Rotary Clubs around the world, the organization brings together local leaders to improve the community through service projects. Next Tuesday, the Rotary Club of Salt Lake City will honor well-known local dignitaries like Jon Huntsman, Sr., and Thomas Monson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, at a Centennial Gala held at the Salt Palace.
The residents of Salt Lake City Council District 6 have demonstrated that they are ready for new leadership. That’s what Charlie Luke is saying, after taking more than 45 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s primary election to represent the east side on the city council. Incumbent J.T. Martin hung on with 29 percent, so the two will now face each other in November’s general election.
Salt Lake City police are responding to complaints from business owners this week by stepping up their patrols in the downtown Central Business District. Sergeant Shawn Josephson says they’ll be looking for things like public intoxication, aggressive panhandling, jaywalking and drug dealing.
A years-long battle over the big box is now over on Salt Lake City’s east side – and it means Walmart will still be moving into the neighborhood, but not with a new store. In a six-to-one vote last night the Salt Lake City Council rejected a request by the company to rezone its property on 2700 East Parleys Way, which would have enabled it to tear down the existing building.
Property tax bills in Utah’s second-largest city are about to get bigger. Tuesday night, the West Valley City Council voted to raise taxes by 18 percent in order to avoid cutting $3.5 million from the city’s budget. And the only dissenting vote came from the city’s mayor, Mike Winder, who supported a ballot proposition last year that would have raised taxes for open space.
Credit rating agencies have spared the state a rating downgrade, but some local governments are now under review. Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and some school districts with AAA bond ratings are being reviewed by Moody’s Investors Service for possible downgrades. Darrin Casper, the county’s Chief Financial Officer, says Moody’s believes the county depends too much on federal grant money and federal jobs, but the county disagrees.
Additional Programming Provided by
