Lawmakers' trip to Salt Lake County will cost $100K
A similar tour a day before in Davis County is budgeted to cost $11,500.
The Salt Lake County Council voted Tuesday to chip in $25,000 for the tour, but only after several council members questioned the high price tag for a one-day event.
"Some of us are a little stumped: What in the world are you going to do with that amount of money?" Council Chairman Mark Crockett asked tour planners. "How do we spend $100,000 on that many legislators in one day?"
A big chunk of the cost is a $25,000 video legislators will watch on the drive — on rented buses — to several areas around the county. The video will highlight areas of the county legislators won't have time to see during the one-day tour, said Maura Carabello, a partner with the political consulting/lobbying firm Exoro, which is organizing the event.
The rest of the money will be spent on meals and communication materials, but not swag, Carabello said.
Bob Farrington, executive director of the Downtown Alliance, a consortium of downtown business owners, residents and property owners, defended the big budget on Tuesday. The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce runs the Downtown Alliance.
Private entities that donate to the Salt Lake County tour will get access to legislators, either through site visits or at one of the scheduled meals, Carabello said.
House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said he can't imagine how $100,000 could be spent on touring Salt Lake County. "Forty percent of the Legislature is from Salt Lake County," said Curtis. "That's almost $1,000 per legislator — there's only 104 of us. And (the Legislature) is paying for the hotel rooms of out-of-county legislators. I know absolutely nothing about these (other) expenses, but we need to find out."
Curtis said if expenses for such a short trip are hitting $100,000, then it may be time for the state to take over control of the tours and not rely on the hospitality of the local residents the Legislature is visiting.
LaVarr Webb, head of Exoro, said the firm figured in a small profit for its work, but Webb said he doesn't know if that can be reached.
"We've basically had two of our employees working full time on this for several weeks," said Webb, who also pens a column for the Deseret Morning News.
He said local governments typically contribute funds for legislative tours.
"It only makes sense that Salt Lake County would want to do that, as well — after all, we're showing off their county to the legislators," Webb said.
You can be the first to comment on this story.