As I’ve visited with many of you at the delegate gatherings, you’ve asked me questions that I’d like to clarify here (as there isn’t a debate scheduled in which you would be able to hear this information).  I hope these explanations will help clear away some of the confusion.

I am running for re-election because when I first ran, my goal was to keep down Utah County taxes and spending. When my first term began in 2003, the Utah County portion of the property tax rate was .001411 and last year it was .001203.  The county portion of the property tax on a home in 2003 for a house with a market value of $200,000 was $155.21.  In 2009, a home with the same $200,000 value was only $132.33. That same home in Davis County would be taxed today at $231.88, a 76% higher tax rate than we have in Utah County.

I chose to run for my third and final term hoping to get us through this economic crisis without the kind of tax increases which would have been required during the 2008 budget process when I voted against that budget.  Being a fiscal conservative on the Utah County Commission has made me unpopular with some people. Twice I have had to vote against a county budget because it was too “fat” for our values and four times I have voted against a pay raise for commissioners.  I pledge to you, the Utah County Taxpayer, to continue to say NO when it needs to be said. I pledge not to raise your property taxes without your general election approval.  I also pledge to continue making Public Safety our first and foremost responsibility in the budget process to protect our citizens from criminal activity.

Former US Senator Alan Simpson, R-WY, said in the April 12, 2010 edition of Newsweek “an attack unanswered is an attack believed.”  I want to be clear with the delegates where I stand.

1. Is Utah County government really the most efficient and lowest cost county government in Utah?

Utah County spent $239.93 per person in 2007, which was $48 less per person than any other county and less than half of the $505.73 statewide average.  By comparison, Salt Lake County spent $568.47, Weber County spent $435.95, Washington County spent $403.95, and Davis County spent $297.59.
The number of County employees per 10,000 residents is also a way to gauge our efficiency. The following is for 2008 before layoffs at the county, Washington County 70.5, Weber County 42.8, Salt Lake County 37.8, Davis County 20.2 and Utah County 16.4 employees per 10,000 residents. (Source: 2009 UAC Fact Book, the most recent edition)

2. How does Utah County compare with the other counties in the state in how much money is taxed per person?

Utah County taxed $137.94 per person in 2007, while Salt Lake County taxed $331.27, Weber County taxed $247.53, Washington County taxed $199.80, and Davis County taxed $183.54.  Only Tooele County taxed less, $120.05 per person, but they also have $190.31 per person in “other” revenue from Energy Solutions and other dumpsites. Utah County only has $2.05 per person in other revenue and has the lowest tax revenue of any county in Utah by $53.82 per person.

3. Is it true that the Commission has raised sales tax?

Yes.  In 2006, the voters approved a .25% sales tax for Commuter Rail.  In 2007, the State Legislature at the request of Governor Huntsman, eliminated certain sales taxes on food and left the County “short” on its bonded indebtedness for the construction of Commuter Rail.  The Legislature approved the increase of sales tax for that item from one quarter of a cent to .30 of a cent to cover the required “coverage” for the bonds statewide for rail projects. 

In 2009, the Legislature then required Utah County to levy another quarter cent tax for right-of-way purchase and construction of the I-15 corridor and local collector/distributor roads.  This $1.7 billion project will cost our taxpayers only $13 million per year. Salt Lake County was required to do something similar when I-15 was reconstructed for the 2002 Olympics and for current projects in Salt Lake County.

4. How is the new convention center being funded and why hasn’t the Commission let the private sector build it?

In 2006, the Utah County Commission, along with Pleasant Grove, CUP, and Alpine School District, created a Community Development Area (CDA) at the new Pleasant Grove/Lindon exit of I-15.  That money is still there and available to Mr. John Q. Hammonds and his company to build his hotel and convention center.  Mr. Hammonds has repeatedly told us that his convention center is for international clients he will bring to Utah and that our facility would not “compete” with his. No progress has been made on the construction of Hammonds' facility since 2006.

Now is the time to construct the Convention Center, as costs are 40% below two years ago. Acting now will save money as the cost of steel and concrete will keep rising in tandem with energy costs. Utah County received $2,700,000 in revenue in 2009 exclusively from tourists through Hotel Transient Room Tax, SL Airport car rental tax and out of county Restaurant Sales Tax. 

Visitors to Utah County are paying for the entire cost of the Convention Center, not local taxpayers. Local taxpayer Restaurant Sales Tax goes to the construction of trails and park improvements in the county as well as paying for the McKay Events Center at UVU. This tax may not be used for any general functions of the County such as law enforcement or road projects, only for Tourism, Recreation, Cultural or Convention facilities that are publicly owned. Click here to see the supporting financial document which shows the fund balance.

5. Is the budget process as difficult as some people are claiming and does the Commission micro-manage how the departments spend the money allotted to them?

The County Commission decides how much the total budget will be and what percentage each Department and Division will receive.  According to our County Attorney, Jeff Buhman, once the budget is set for each Department, they are free to move it around as needed except for new personnel hires, purchase orders above $1,000, and travel requests. 

Once a personnel budget and staffing plan is done for each Department, the Department Head is then given the balance of his or her budget and is free to decide what is most needed in their area of responsibility.  It was run differently in the past, but three years ago we corrected the process according to the Attorney and Clerk/Auditor and their statutory responsibilities as Legal Officer and Budget Officer, respectively. 

6. Are there “slush funds” or “hidden reserves” at Utah County?

No, there are not.  When Utah County receives any funds, the Clerk/Auditor’s Office assigns the revenue to a receivable account and the funds are placed in the custody of the Utah County Treasurer.  The Treasurer holds all money until it is appropriated in a budget process.

During 2009, the wildland fire account was short approximately $1,200,000 and needed a transfer and that was done in the budget process with an open and transparent procedure that allows the public and the press to receive a copy of all transfers.  While I may know where there are funds that are not “restricted”, it takes three weeks of advertising and an open and public meeting to move money in the budget.  It usually costs about $8,000 to re-open the budget and advertise it in the press.  This is hardly a “secret” process.  Most of the transfers thus mentioned have been for fires or floods or overtime for Sheriff’s Office activities such as raids on “Rave Parties” or searching for persons buried in an avalanche or overtime adjustments for the County Jail at the end of the year.

The following monies are restricted to single use: Medicaid funds, road funds, tourism funds, assessing and collecting funds, reserve funds for general obligation bonds and transit funds and may never be transferred for any other use.

7. Do you have a role in the state and/or federal legislative process?

Since Commissioner Herbert left Utah County to become Lt. Governor and Governor, I have been the Republican co-chair of the Utah Association of Counties (UAC) Legislative Committee.  That committee approves positions for the Association, and we lobby those positions before our legislators.  I have the approval and endorsement of many of our legislators, as well as Congressman Jason Chaffetz.  When Congressman Chaffetz has a question about Utah County, he contacts me for input.  Each year we make presentations to our Washington, DC delegation regarding federal highway issues and other subjects.  

Please visit my web site not1redcent.com to read more in depth responses to these and other questions you might have.