BOUNTIFUL, Utah — For the last two years, the city of Bountiful has been studying what a city-owned fiber optic network would look like.
“Residents of Bountiful will own this asset. It will be their asset,” said Kate Bradshaw, Bountiful City Council Member. “The money that's spent to build the network will give them an asset, and then the money going forward will be used to upgrade and replenish the asset going forward. You won't have to wait for some other corporate entity to decide that it's time for you to have upgrades.”
Taxes will not be raised to cover the cost of construction of the high-speed internet service, and the sales-tax bond does not require voter approval, said Bradshaw.
“It’s a subscriber-based bond," she said. "So those that choose to, only if they choose to sign up for the fiber program, their subscriber fees will pay back the bond that builds the infrastructure.”
However, the Utah Taxpayers Association believes residents should have a say, said Rusty Cannon, president of the organization.
“If the city is going to burden taxpayers with a $47 million debt and the risk that comes along with it, if this project fails or struggles, which these projects have a history of doing, then taxpayers should have the chance to, to vote on it,” he said.
The Utah Taxpayers Association has been gathering signatures and door-knocking to get residents to sign a petition to force a vote on Bountiful Fiber on November’s ballot.
“The statement that, 'Hey, don't worry, this won't cost any money for taxpayers' is completely false," said Cannon. "They're leaving out the most important thing. They're not disclosing the risk that, 'Hey, by the way, if take rates aren't what we forecast them to be, this will cost money from taxpayer funds in Bountiful.'"
The signature collectors are identifying themselves as city employees and confusing residents, said Bradshaw.
“The people that are coming to doorsteps are giving erroneous and bad information,” she said. “There is a great body of evidence that is open, transparent, public.”
The city is hosting a public meeting on Tuesday, July 11 at 6 p.m. at the city hall for any residents with questions on the fiber plan.
You can find more information here.
