The Utah Taxpayers Association defends taxpayers against unnecessary tax increases and wasteful government spending. The Association is also dedicated to promoting sound policy that keep taxes fair and transparent for all Utahns. Here are the bills that the Association is working to pass this session to protect Utah taxpayers.
Special Service District Reform (SB 94) – Sen. Lincoln Fillmore. Utah’s special service districts are the state’s hidden layer of government. To bring this level of government to light your Taxpayers Association is supporting legislation to ensure property tax increases by these entities are done with proper representation and full disclosure.
Transparency in tax increases on the ballot (SB 150) – Sen. Deidre Henderson. Under current law, the true cost of a bond placed on the general election ballot is near the bottom of the bond proposal description. This legislation will require that the true cost of bonds are mentioned first in the description on the ballot to give taxpayers the full understanding of what is being asked of them.
Limiting the use of enterprise funds for general fund purposes in city budgets (HB 164) – Rep. Jefferson Moss. Taxpayers in Utah may face unseen tax increases as local entities may use increased fees in enterprise funds –such as utility services – to fund general fund services to avoid pursuing a property tax increase. This legislation will bring greater transparency to the enterprise funds and how dollars from these funds are used.
Increasing transparency for impact fees (HB 89) – Rep. John Knotwell. Modifies the reporting requirements for local governments that collect impact fees to bring about greater transparency in how the fees are collected and spent.
Protecting school districts from giving away millions of taxpayer dollars to developers (SB 142) – Sen. Lincoln Fillmore. Limits Utah school districts ability to participate in tax increment financing programs that allow school districts to give up future property tax revenues to companies that are building within their boundaries.
Utah 2.0: Paving the way for a brighter economic future through decreasing the tax burden on Utah businesses (Youtube) Creates a strong economic climate for businesses that have a local presence to grow and expand. Lessens Utah’s tax burden on businesses to make the state more attractive for companies looking to locate here. Calls for aligning Utah’s education system to the needs of the state’s employers.