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Senate approves measure to put Salt Lake County light-rail question before voters; floor bars use of public funds to promote it
Summary
Senate passes SB 108 to allow a November county referendum on a quarter-cent sales tax for a Sandy-to-downtown light rail project; senators debated ridership, cost and environmental trade-offs and adopted an amendment prohibiting use of public funds to promote the referendum before passing the measure on second reading.
Senate Bill 108, a proposal to send a Salt Lake County light-rail sales-tax proposal to the ballot, advanced in the Utah Senate after a prolonged and at times contentious floor debate.
Sponsor Senator K. S. Cornaby described the measure as a county referendum mechanism: if voters approve a quarter-cent county sales-tax increase in the November general election, Salt Lake County could use the funds to construct a light-rail line from Sandy to downtown Salt Lake and seek federal matching funds currently available through 1991. "The thrust of the bill is to provide an election for Salt Lake County residents to determine that," Cornaby said.
Opponents warned of the system's high capital cost and uncertain ridership. Several senators cited other cities that rejected light rail after costly campaigns and argued the project could demand long-term subsidies beyond the quarter-cent tax. Senator Barton moved an amendment to require that any public funds used to promote the referendum be split so the opposing side received an equal share; Senator Cornaby successfully offered substitute language that simply prohibited the use of public funds to influence the vote, and the chamber adopted that restriction.
Proponents emphasized environmental gains and the near-term availability of federal funds and stressed that local voters should make the decision. The Senate recorded a roll-call vote: SB 108 received 16 ayes, 11 nays and 2 absent and was moved to the third-reading calendar.
Next steps: the measure (as amended on the floor to prohibit use of public funds for promotion) will appear on the Senate's third-reading calendar; if ultimately enacted and approved locally, Salt Lake County would plan for federal matching and regional coordination on park-and-ride and feeder bus service.
