Minutes for 2008-01-10, Direct pdf link.

MINUTES
OF THE SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING OF
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF WEBER COUNTY
Thursday, January 10, 2007 - 10:00 a.m.
Commission Conference Room, Weber Center, Ogden, Utah
In accordance with the requirements of Utah Code Annotated Section 52-4-7(1)(d), the County Clerk records in the minutes the names of all citizens who appear and speak at a County Commission meeting and the substance “in brief” of their comments. Such statements may include opinion or purported facts. The County does not verify the accuracy or truth of any statement but includes it as part of the record pursuant to state law.Commissioners Present: Jan M. Zogmaister, Craig L. Dearden, and Kenneth A. Bischoff.

Others Present: Bruce Jones, UTA General Counsel; Alan Hansen, Davis County Commission; Louenda Downs, Davis County Commission; Bret Millburn, Davis County Commission; Mike Allegra, UTA; Mick Crandall, UTA; Yowel Grant, Booz Allen Hamilton; John Inglish; UTA; Justin Jones, UTA; David Beecher, UTA; Frederick Oates, WACOG UTA Board of Trustees; Bolo Hunter, UTA Board of Trustees; DeMar Mitchell, UTA Board- Representing Davis County; Dave Copeland, Davis County; Jennifer Lambert, Davis County; Ben Horsley, for Representative Bishop; Art Bowen, UTA; Brandon Loomis, Salt Lake Tribune; Marshall Thompson, Standard Examiner; Joe Dougherty, Deseret Morning News; Julie Fisher, House of Representatives; Carrie Bohnsack-Ware, UTA Media Relations; Wilf Sommerkom, Davis County COG; Bob Hunter, UTA Board of Trustees; Fátima Fernelius, Weber County Clerk/Auditor’s Office, took minutes.

A. Discussion by Weber County Commissioners & Utah Transit Authority (UTA) on Transportation Tax

Weber and Davis Counties, UTA, and others had met twice in December 2007 to discuss this issue. John Inglish, of the UTA, stated that the equity study had been completed and that this study would be done on a regular basis. Mr. Grant, of Booz Allen Hamilton, presented the summary results on “How Equitable is UTA? Measuring Equity Across UTA’s Member Counties.” Again, the importance of equity by each participant was discussed and stressed by the two counties and Mr. Inglish noted the difficulty with this issue, which was compounded by right-of-way purchases from one county into another, etc.

Mr. Inglish presented an updated transit development plan with and without sales tax revenues. Davis County commissioners again expressed concern because they had received a financial document presented today just a few minutes prior to leaving for this meeting, thus not having an opportunity to review it.

Commissioner Zogmaister pointed out that UTA was using different figures than those they had last presented to the commissioners. Today UTA was using figures based on a projected annual sales tax revenue increase of 5.5%, but UTA’s final budget for this year was based on a 4% increase. Mr. Inglish said that UTA was using the State’s projected sales tax rate. There were some other errors and inconsistencies with UTA’s report and the commissioners asked for more detailed specifics.

Weber and Davis Counties were not convinced that UTA needed the 0.05% sales tax increase. Mr. Inglish said that the rate increase was needed to secure long term funding for projects and purchases. He said that services would have to be cut without the requested rate increase. Before the legislature cut the tax on non-prepared foods effective in January 2008, the average taxpayer was paying about $52/year and the proposed 0.05% tax increase would restore a portion of the monies that went to the UTA and would be about $7/person. Mick Crandall, of the UTA, worked out the figures using a 5.5% sales tax revenue increase that showed a 2008 shortfall to UTA of about $15 million. UTA requested a decision by the two counties by the end of January 2008. The commissioners expressed the need to study the issues and perhaps meet again.

The meeting adjourned at 12:50 p.m.

Jan M. Zogmaister, Chair
Weber County Commission

Alan D. McEwan, CPA
Weber County Clerk/Auditor