By Stuart Adams
Utah State Senator, District 22

I have really appreciated the support for SB 229. Many people have been involved in trying to find middle ground with the Governor. Many different approaches and ideas have been suggested with no success. I wanted to share some of my thoughts so citizens will understand why I feel strongly about this piece of legislation.

1. We all are aware of the need for additional transportation funding. The gas tax was 24.5 cents in 1998 when gas was around a dollar and it is still 24.5 cents per gallon as gas approaches 4 dollars a gallon.   In comparison, an automobile that sold for $10,000 in 1998 would generate $650 in sales tax revenue. That automobile would perhaps sell now for $20,000 generating $1300 or double the sales tax revenue.  While transportation needs and costs increase, there is no inflation adjustment in the gas tax.  Using a portion of the sales tax would give us a revenue source that accounts for inflation and allows us to try and solve the cost problem with existing revenues before we consider raising taxes.

2. The transportation commission has been forced to end preventive maintenance on approx. 45% of our state roads. They will continue to patch pot holes but will not do preventive maintenance. To repair, rather than maintain, costs much more and shifts the burden into the future, setting us up for another structural imbalance.

3.  Utahns are impacted every day by transportation projects now on hold because they are unfunded, including the following:

I-15 from 123rd South to Lehi

Mt. View Corridor extension

East-West roads in Salt Lake County

Bangerter Highway interchange improvements

US 6 from Spanish Fork to I-70

US 40 from Park City to Vernal

The Southern Parkway in Washington County

10th West in Logan

West Riverdale Road in Ogden

24th Street interchange in Ogden

West Davis Corridor

I-15 expansion North Salt Lake to 31st Street in Ogden

I-15 interchange at the Logan turn off

I-15 extension Spanish Fork to Payson

Southern Parkway in St. George, Warner to Washington Dam and I-15 to Telegraph Road

SR-18 – St. George Blvd to Red Hills Parkway

4. Mobility and infrastructure are key factors that facilitate economic development. If I-15 through downtown Salt Lake had not been widened from 3 lanes to 5-6 lanes the state would not have experienced the economic expansion that occurred over the last decade. SB 229 continues this vision and commitment to economic development.

5. SB 229 does not reduce or effect any current program. It allocates 30% of the NEW growth in sales tax (until it  caps out at 17% of total sales tax revenue) into the TIF (Transportation Investment Fund).

6. This fund has had a dual use over the years.  The primary use, of course,  is to fund transportation needs. The secondary use has been to help balance our budget. This is the first source of money we use in an economic downturn to save other state programs. We have done this in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. This fund has historically been an additional rainy day fund.

7. We have continually been rated #1 in the nation for our fiscal policies. We need to continue to have the tools we deem necessary as a legislature to maintain our financial stability. Taking money off the table very much like we did with the preliminary 7.5% reduction in base budgets this year forces us to first look within.

8.  It is natural for executive branches to reject legislative efforts to restrain growth.  They tend to do whatever possible to continue to spend and grow the existing state programs. To balance this, the legislative branch has the constitutional responsibility to appropriate the funds the executive branch spends. This responsibility needs to remain independent regardless of the Executive Branch’s efforts to try and control the appropriation process by the use of a veto.