by Howard Stephenson

Total Spending Growth
Except for last year, we can’t remember the last time state spending was projected to grow so fast. Total state budget growth is proposed at 6.7% including federal funds, dedicated credits, etc. General fund /education fund spending is projected to grow a whopping 15.0% or more than $750 million.
For up-to-date analysis [...]

by Howard Stephenson

Taxpayers and proponents of RDA reform were dealt a serious setback in November when Alpine School District, Utah County and Pleasant Grove decided to subsidize a hotel and convention center in Pleasant Grove. Subsidizing economic activity that will occur on its own in Utah is an unjustifiable use of tax incentives.
Taxpayers will be [...]

by Howard Stephenson

Total property tax collections in Utah will surpass $2 billion in 2006, according to calculations by the Utah Taxpayers Association based on data from the Utah State Tax Commission. Earlier this year, the state passed another revenue milestone as individual income tax revenues surpassed the $2 billion mark for the fiscal year that [...]

by Howard Stephenson

The biggest irony about Utah’s most congested traffic corridors is that they experience excess capacity more hours a day than they do congestion. Because many highways suffer congestion each day for about four hours out of 24, many are pushing for increased taxes to fund expanded lanes and new [...]

by Howard Stephenson

On November 7, Utahns will be asked to vote YES or NO on several tax-related ballot questions. Statewide, taxpayers are being asked to vote on approximately twenty proposed tax increases. Some of the proposed property tax increases would fund general obligation bonds, which means that the tax increase is [...]

by Howard Stephenson

Recently in this column we’ve considered the significant increases in state tax revenues and expenditures. We’ve also reviewed the record state revenue increases and increases in rainy day fund balances.
It’s about time we seriously consider the rest of the tax cuts recommended by the Tax Reform Task Force.
The Utah Taxpayers [...]

by Howard Stephenson

“… the Utah Legislature refuses to funnel surplus dollars into schools.”
Salt Lake Tribune, October 12, 2006
Most Utahns read this and other newspaper reports and think that the Legislature is not increasing education spending, or at least not increasing it significantly. However, by any measure the Legislature significantly increased education [...]

by Howard Stephenson

City Creek Center, the LDS Church’s recently announced premier downtown redevelopment — will not be subsidized by taxpayers.  I don’t know of any redevelopment project in Utah which requires more demolition and infrastructure improvements than this massive rebuild of 20 acres including three downtown city blocks. The improvement in [...]

by Howard Stephenson

Utah’s financial situation looks better now than it has in a very long time, due to an expanding economy that has generated huge increases in state tax revenues.
Utah’s rainy day funds — officially known as budget reserve accounts — are now at all-time highs and have reached their statutory [...]

by Howard Stephenson

Real Salt Lake has reportedly given up on a proposal to get Jordan School District, and to a lesser degree all 40 Utah school districts, to cough up money to help the team pay for their Sandy stadium infrastructure. That’s good news. Professional soccer should not be seeking money from Utah schools [...]