61% favor transit funding
But specific projects haven't been identified
The survey of 366 county residents was done by Dan Jones & Associates for the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV. It was conducted Sept. 25-28 and had a margin of error of 5.1 percent.
County leaders said the results bode well for a proposition on the county's ballot this November. The proposition asks residents whether the county should levy a quarter-cent sales-tax increase for road and transit improvements and also for preservation of routes for future roadways.
Specific projects that will be funded by the increase have yet to be identified. And it appears the projects won't be identified until Oct. 18 at the earliest or even after the November election. That's because county leaders need to get legislative approval of a process for picking which projects should be funded.
On Tuesday, the Salt Lake County Council of Governments (COG), which includes mayors and county officials, found out that the legislative committee that will approve the process won't meet until Oct. 17. The council had hoped the group would meet earlier so that mayors and other parties could begin informing residents where the money would go.
"We'll see how the chips fall," said Draper Mayor Darrell Smith in an interview Tuesday. "We still hope — and I think the citizens deserve — to have a priority list of projects. Usually when you make decisions, you like to know what you're making it about."
Members of the Salt Lake County Council were equally optimistic.
"Waiting a little for the list of projects shouldn't be a problem," said Councilman Randy Horiuchi. "The voters, they tend to utilize the last couple of weeks and really start focusing in."
Natalie Gochnour, vice president of policy and communications for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, said that the pro-business group plans to announce a campaign this Friday to promote the ballot proposition — regardless of whether projects have been identified.
The poll, said Gochnour, shows that residents understand the "need for transportation investment." Over the next 25 years, the chamber estimates that the state faces a $21 billion deficit for road and transit projects.
"We know that there has been significant public support for relieving transportation congestion, and all the poll does is remind us of that need," she said. "Would it be nice to have a list of projects and a benefit to us? Yes. But we'll move forward."
Groups that have opposed spending taxpayer dollars on transit projects had little reaction Tuesday to the Dan Jones poll. Mike Jerman, vice president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, said that his group will wait to see what projects are selected before coming out in support or against the proposition.
"We just want to make sure the dollars are spent in the most cost-effective manner," he said.
The next meeting of the Legislature's Executive Appropriations Committee, which will approve the process for picking projects, is on Oct. 17. The committee has yet to set its agenda for the meeting.
Contributing: Leigh Dethman
E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com
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