Council approves transportation sales tax allocations and corridor preservation list, subject to funds

Summit County Council voted to approve the Council of Governments' recommended list of Transportation Sales Tax (TST) projects and corridor preservation awards through 2024, with both approvals conditioned on funds being available prior to expenditure.

Staff told the council that actual TST revenues have exceeded early projections and that the program now supports a pay‑as‑you‑go portfolio (~$2.1–2.6 million range) and bonding for larger projects. New county projects on the recommended list included the SR‑32 Camas‑Francis trail extension and Old Ranch Road trail and bike lanes; additional requests requested more funding for previously approved projects such as the Silver Summit southbound off‑ramp redesign. The recommended TST allocation tables (tables 1–3) total roughly $5.6 million for pay‑as‑you‑go and bond projects combined for 2024. Council moved and unanimously approved the TST allocations as recommended by COG, with a motion clarifying that projects must show receipt of funds before authorization to spend.

On the corridor preservation fund (the $10 vehicle registration charge program), COG recommended two projects: Old Ranch Trail shoulder widening and a Park City property purchase at Richardson Flat/SR‑248 (UDOT property). Staff acknowledged the corridor fund was over‑subscribed and presented a prioritization to reduce shortfall risk; the council approved the recommended list conditioned on confirmation of funds before expense.

Councilors asked about the process to avoid oversubscription; staff and presenters said that projects would be required to show receipt of funds before committing expenditures and that stagnant or older approved projects would be revisited for potential removal to free capacity.