by Tax Watchdog | Nov 8, 2019 | Newsletters, The Utah Taxpayer
I have either lobbied or served in the Utah Legislature since April 1, 1977. From my MPA experience I was already aware that the Utah Legislature avoids the costly duplication and unnecessary competition among dueling staffs that exist in so many other states. The...
by Tax Watchdog | Nov 8, 2019 | Blog, Newsletters, The Utah Taxpayer
In its October meeting, the Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force, after months of public input and weighing options, began taking action on proposals that were placed before it. The Task Force reviewed five options from various members of the Task Force, with...
by Tax Watchdog | Oct 7, 2019 | Newsletters
As the Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force moves toward the finishing line of recommending what Utah’s tax reform should look like, in September, they took a deep dive into Utah’s transportation budget and how it is funded. With $1.74 billion appropriated...
by Tax Watchdog | Oct 7, 2019 | Newsletters
Last month in this column I wrote in some detail about why Utah’s 51st ranking in K-12 school spending per student is a flawed metric. I explained that one of the reasons Utah’s education lobby continues to repeat the misleading 51st ranking is to ensure the public...
by Tax Watchdog | Sep 8, 2019 | Newsletters
In recent years many Utah legislators have reported on their experience at national conventions when a speaker asks whose state spends less per student on public education than any other. Legislators representing several states claim theirs is the lowest. Sometimes...
by Tax Watchdog | May 6, 2019 | Newsletters
The Canyons School District recently announced that they reached a tentative agreement with the Canyons Education Association that, starting this fall, would give teachers a $7,665 salary increase. That would be a double digit percentage increase for all teachers and...