The Salt Lake County coucil has put an initiative on the November ballot to approve a property tax increase to pay for light rail in Salt Lake County. I believe this is bad policy. I don't believe this is a good use of property tax and I don't like the way the county is framing the issue.

Using property tax for light rail will affect everybody, but will really affect those on a fixed income and school districts. This is the only way a local district can increase their funds and only when it is approved by the patrons in a district. By increasing the property tax for transit it may stop patrons from increasng property tax later when the schools can prove they really need the increase.

I also don't approve of the way the county has written the ballot initiative. All they are asking the voters to do is approve an $895,000,000 bond. There is no mention of a property tax to pay back the bond or how much it might affect home owners or businesses. The county needs to be more honest with the voters.

Instead of leaving this property tax initiative on the ballot the legislature should change the law so a sales tax has to be approved instead of a property tax. Many are saying that the initiative won't pass. I'm not so sure we should take the gamble. Who's going to fight against the intitiative. Even though it is more of a burden for businesses it will be hard for them to speak agains transit funding, which has become very popular. Even the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce has been supporting the initiative.

So the ball is in the Governor's court to put the issue on the special session. The House has already shown strong support to make the change to an optional sales tax. If the issue is put on the call it is time for the Senate to take seriously the need to make the change from property tax to an optional sales tax for transit and transportation.