What's new
By:

Prop 1

♪alt13

♪alt13

Well-Known Member
WHAT IS PROP 1?

Prop 1 is a ballot measure in 17 counties that gives cities, counties and transit providers a quarter-cent in sales tax (except on food)—that’s one cent for every four dollars for local transportation. Prop 1 helps communities invest in transportation close to home: roads, trails, sidewalks, maintenance, increased bus service and safety features. Prop 1 will help fill the gap in transportation needs in our community. In counties with transit service, 40% of the proceeds will go to cities and towns, 40% to transit and 20% to the county. In counties without public transit, 40% of the sales tax will go to cities and 60% to counties.

https://www.prop1utah.com/

I hope this passes in every county. Don't let your county get left behind, vote yes.
 
Joe Bagadonuts said:
Someone told me that a large percentage of this money would go to UTA exec salaries. Is that true?
Click to expand...

No. It has to go towards extending service in the county it is collected in.

HOW DO I KNOW PROP 1 WILL GO TO MY LOCAL COMMUNITY'S TRANSPORTATION?

HB 362, the legislation that allows you to vote on Prop 1, has strong accountability measures that mandate by law that cities, counties and transit agencies must report to the state auditor to ensure funds are used appropriately. Prop 1 can only be spent on transportation – roads, maintenance, sidewalks, transit, etc. – not on salaries or overhead. Since the local option will be collected and invested close to home, you’ll see the benefits at work in your community.
Click to expand...

https://www.prop1utah.com/
 
♪alt13 said:
No. It has to go towards extending service in the county it is collected in.
Click to expand...

But it is just a shell game, they might be able to show that all the money collected from this tax goes to "service" while atThe same time increasing salaries by diverting funds from other places.

This is the trouble with giving huge tax incomes to unelected, unaccountable, unregulated entities.
 
mellow said:
But it is just a shell game, they might be able to show that all the money collected from this tax goes to "service" while atThe same time increasing salaries by diverting funds from other places.

This is the trouble with giving huge tax incomes to unelected, unaccountable, unregulated entities.
Click to expand...

Do you live in Salt Lake County?
 
mellow said:
But it is just a shell game, they might be able to show that all the money collected from this tax goes to "service" while atThe same time increasing salaries by diverting funds from other places.

This is the trouble with giving huge tax incomes to unelected, unaccountable, unregulated entities.
Click to expand...
This is my fear too. Every election cycle there is another one of these types of initiatives, and it is always presented as the socially responsible thing to do to support it and make your community infrastructure better... one tax on top of another tax on top of another and another. They are always tiny, but cumulatively they are not. Then, like clockwork, we learn that the exec level compensation is excessive and the parties they throw are lavish. This money is coming from somewhere. This money could have gone to repairing the roads and building the bike paths, etc, that this tax is supposedly meant for.

I have nothing against success, but there is a big difference between making profits off of a great product or service, and making big salaries off of a taxpayer skim. This is essentially the same thing we see happening on big defense contracts (only those are on a gigantic scale).

I'm still willing to listen to more info on this, but I'm leaning towards a "no" vote.
 
mellow said:
no
Click to expand...

I'll give you the salt lake example anyway.

According to The Utah Taxpayers Association, an independent tax watchdog group, in SL the new tax would raise 48 million dollars next year. 40%,~19 million, of that would be earmarked for UTA. IIRC the highest paid UTA exec makes ~350k. To say that the money will go towards exec salaries is just wrong. The scales are of completely different sizes. Let's reform UTA, I'm with ya, but prop 1 is not for salaries.

If you're interested in your county here are some links:

Utah Tax Payers Association-Lists expected revenue by county
Prop 1 Utah Map- Shows projects, maintenance, and transit to be funded by the tax
 
♪alt13 said:
I'll give you the salt lake example anyway.

According to The Utah Taxpayers Association, an independent tax watchdog group, in SL the new tax would raise 48 million dollars next year. 40%,~19 million, of that would be earmarked for UTA. IIRC the highest paid UTA exec makes ~350k. To say that the money will go towards exec salaries is just wrong. The scales are of completely different sizes. Let's reform UTA, I'm with ya, but prop 1 is not for salaries.

If you're interested in your county here are some links:

Utah Tax Payers Association-Lists expected revenue by county
Prop 1 Utah Map- Shows projects, maintenance, and transit to be funded by the tax
Click to expand...
These numbers add up:
https://utahsright.com/salaries.php?city=uta_salaries

These top salaries seem excessive to me for what is essentially a government job, and I would not be surprised if they include lucrative parachutes and pensions.

It's true that many of these salaries and bonuses have been reduced from where they were previously, but it still seems excessive:
https://www.deseretnews.com/article...hoping-to-boost-public-confidence.html?pg=all
 
Joe Bagadonuts said:
These numbers add up:
https://utahsright.com/salaries.php?city=uta_salaries

These top salaries seem excessive to me for what is essentially a government job, and I would not be surprised if they include lucrative parachutes and pensions.

It's true that many of these salaries and bonuses have been reduced from where they were previously, but it still seems excessive:
https://www.deseretnews.com/article...hoping-to-boost-public-confidence.html?pg=all
Click to expand...

First a lot of those people are engineers, accountants, etc. They're not fat cats sitting on a board. If you want a well designed well ran system you are going to have to pay people.

Second, that money is already allocated. To say that Prop 1 will go to salaries of top UTA execs you have to believe that they will increase those salaries with the money coming in. They aren't going to increase exec salaries by 30-40 million dollars, it's nonsensical. They wouldn't get away with it.

Third don't overlook the other 60% that will be going to cities and counties to pay for transportation.
 
We already have enough money from taxes going to this stuff, there is enough money to make great public transportation. We need to be more creative and cost effective with the money not increase taxes. Dont raise taxes, learn to fix the money problems first.

We are paying our Execs in SLC as much as large cities no reason they need to be paid the same as those people. Cost of living is much lower here and our city is much smaller.

Alt do you work for UTA? or for the government?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page
Back
Top