Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Transparency topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House passes Truth in Bonding bill requiring clearer ballot disclosure of property‑tax impacts
Summary
The Utah House passed House Bill 393, which requires ballot language for bond measures to clearly state when a proposal will raise property taxes and to state the amount of the increase; the bill passed 61‑0 after adoption of a counties‑requested language amendment.
Representative Gregory Hughes introduced House Bill 393, saying it was prompted by a recent bond proposal for four light‑rail stations that did not make clear to voters that the measure would raise property taxes. "It states the amount that your taxes would increase," Hughes said of the bill's required language, which he described as a simplification requested by county officials.
The sponsor told lawmakers the prior ballot language described a general‑obligation bond and the total borrowing — about $900,000,000 — but failed to indicate that the measure would result in a property‑tax increase or to state how much taxes would rise. Hughes said the bill aims to prevent voter confusion by ensuring ballot summaries explicitly identify property‑tax increases and the estimated amount.
Members adopted Amendment No. 1, which Hughes said condenses and clarifies the language that appears on the ballot. With summation waived, the House approved the amendment by voice vote and then voted on the bill as amended. The House recorded 61 yes votes, 0 no votes and 14 absent; the bill passed the House and was transmitted to the Senate for further consideration.
The bill sponsor and proponents framed the measure as a transparency reform to give voters concrete information as they enter the voting booth. The measure does not itself impose taxes; it changes disclosure requirements for ballot descriptions of future bond measures. The next step is consideration by the Utah Senate.
