The Davis County Commission has agreed to let voters decide whether to raise taxes for mass transit.
The Davis commission voted unanimously Monday to place a referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot to increase the local sales tax by a quarter of a cent on every dollar. The Weber County Commission is expected to do the same Wednesday.
The Salt Lake County Commission discussed the matter Tuesday morning and may also vote Wednesday on whether to place the transit tax measure on the ballot.
During a vigorous debate, Commissioner Brent Overson, an implacable opponent of light rail, strongly opposed the measure, excoriating the Utah Transit Authority and mayors in the county for not including the commission more in discussions of the tax.
"This is a question of the mayors not respecting the council," he said. "We're not invited to the debate — we're just told to put it on the ballot and take the political heat."
UTA General Manager John Inglish and some mayors present said the commission was in fact involved in the discussions.
Of particular concern to the Salt Lake County Commission is the fact that 25 percent of the 1/4-cent tax would go to I-15 improvements, something many people feel is unnecessary now that the vast reconstruction of the corridor in Salt Lake County is winding down.
Commissioner Mark Shurtleff said he would vote to put the matter on the ballot only if it clearly specified that the money does go to I-15 improvements.
"I don't have a problem with the voters voting on this as long as they know what they're voting for," he said.
UTA would use the rest of the money to improve its public transportation system. It says the tax hike would generate about $13 million per year in Davis and Weber counties combined. UTA already receives a quarter cent on every dollar spent in Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Tooele and Box Elder counties and certain cities in Utah County.
The tax hike would double UTA's public subsidy in any county where voters approve the increase. Only Davis, Weber and Salt Lake commissioners were considering the idea.
Weber County Commission Chairman Ken Bischoff said cities in that county want the issue on the ballot, and a public opinion poll showed residents favor a vote. He said new revenue would go first to commuter rail lines.
In permitting their voters to make the decision, Davis County's commissioners stressed that the service improvements already have been spelled out by the long-range regional transportation plan, a 20-year planning document adopted by the Wasatch Front Regional Council.
Those improvements include a commuter rail line between Ogden and Salt Lake City, expanded bus service including more routes and increased frequency on all routes, transit service on Sundays and holidays and extensions of the TRAX light-rail system.
"This resolution is intended to be part of a regional concept," Commissioner Gayle Stevenson said.
UTA has also assured county commissions that sales tax money collected in their counties will be spent for transit improvements in those counties, not others. Since counties appoint representatives to the UTA board, it should not be difficult for them to keep track of how tax money is spent by UTA, said Mike Allegra, the agency's director of transit development.
Fourteen of the 15 city governments in Davis County passed resolutions urging the County Commission to place the proposed tax increase on the ballot. In Salt Lake County, 11 of the county's 15 mayors signed a letter urging the same thing.
About 48 percent of Davis County workers are employed outside the county. In southern Davis County, that number increases to about 70 percent. There is strong support there for commuter rail.
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