SALT LAKE COUNTY — Salt Lake County voters have voted against Proposition 1, which would have imposed a sales and use tax for transportation improvements.
The proposition was defeated with 48.79 percent of voters for it and 51.21 percent of voters against it.
The proposition would have increased the combined state and local sales tax in Salt Lake County from 6.85% to 7.1%, with 40 percent of the proposed tax increase going to the Utah Transit Authority, which already receives $139.2 million in Salt Lake County alone.
The opponents to Proposition 1 decided that they were going to make UTA the reason people should vote no,” said Jerry Benson, UTA Interim President and CEO, in an interview earlier this month.
Benson said it’s unfair opponents of Proposition One made their organization such a focal point during this campaign.
Here is the wording of Proposition 1:
Shall Salt Lake County, Utah, be authorized to impose a quarter-of-one-percent (0.25% or the equivalent of 1 cent for every $4 spent) sales and use tax for the specific purpose of transportation improvements such as roads, trails, sidewalks, maintenance, bus and rail service, and traffic and pedestrian safety features, with the revenues divided among the county, cities and towns, and the public transit provider within the County?
