Many Salt Lake County Council members are looking for answers as to why they were just told about a $17 million shortfall in the county’s 2012 budget. Several council members say they weren’t told about it until this week, and as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, they want to know what went wrong.
A war is raging over whether states can force out-of-state retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by their residents. For years, shoppers have been able to buy products out of state, whether through catalog or online merchants like Amazon, without paying sales tax. But as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, some states and brick-and-mortar businesses are saying that’s not fair, calling on online merchants to pay up.
West Valley City is considering a property tax increase of more than 18 percent to balance its 2012 budget. Earlier this year, the city forecast a $7.5 million budget gap, but was able to shrink it down to $3.5 million through budget cuts and hiring freezes. Mayor Mike Winder says he hates tax increases, and knows it’s going to be a hard sell to residents.
Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon wants voters to decide on a bonding measure for the upkeep and creation of parks in the county. But as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, some county council members weren’t buying his $110 million plan at yesterday’s meeting.
The Utah Association of Counties is rounding up support to defend the restaurant tax against a lawsuit filed by the Utah Taxpayers Association and Utah Restaurant Association against Utah County. As KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, Salt Lake County is standing up for what it says are vital tourism dollars that would be lost if the tax were snuffed out.
Amid public outcry and new restrictions handed down from the legislature, Salt Lake County officials are tossing out a fee that requires business owners and residents to pay for police services in unincorporated Salt Lake County. Now the county is asking for citizens’ input on how to pay for law enforcement services, but as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, the options are limited.
A report from Taxpayers for Common Sense says Utahns pay $141 million a year to benefit oil and gas companies through tax breaks. The report, called “Subsidy Gusher” details the tax breaks that oil and gas companies receive. Vice President Steve Ellis says while Congress explores ways to reform the tax code and cut back spending on entitlement programs, itshould be cutting out big tax breaks to boot.
The Utah Taxpayers Association is an influential voice in Utah policymaking and will soon have its annual Taxes Now conference. The conservative group is crusading against the restaurant tax and the taxpayer-funded UTOPIA fiber-optic network. We were joined by the association’s Royce Van Tassell.
State lawmakers believe they’ll have enough support in both houses to override the governor’s veto of SB 229 when they convene tomorrow for a special session. Opponents worry the bill ties their hands to make future budget decisions by setting aside a percentage of future tax revenues for transportation projects. But as KCPW’s Whittney Evans reports, the bill’s supporters say it’s good money management.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert is standing firm in his decision to veto SB 229, a bill that sets aside a portion of future sales tax growth to fund transportation projects. He says even though lawmakers plan to override his veto in a special session next Friday, the bill is bad policy and unwise.
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