November 18, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation releases Driving Toward a Cleaner Future: Alternative Fuel Vehicles in Utah. The report examines the incentives and disincentives around electric cars, as well as the policy decisions around preparation for a wide proliferation of electric vehicles in the future. It also examines the incentives and requirements around public and private heavy-duty fleet vehicles. Key findings of the study include: Electric vehicles – or battery electric cars and plug-in hybrids – accounted for less than 2% … Continued
October 31, 2019(BuilderOnline.com) - For Garbett, building sustainable homes is about a lot more than solar panels, tankless water heaters, and HERS scores. “It’s about livability, about health,” he says. “All our homes have fresh-air systems because they’re so tight. We’ve had reports from buyers that they’ve been able to get rid of their inhalers when they’re in our homes.” Green building and healthy homes are slowly catching on in Utah, Garbett says, but his firm is still the … Continued
October 30, 2019(Daily Herald) - Another investment opportunity is prison inmate therapy. Each Utah prisoner costs about $30,000 a year. Texas has invested in treatment programs which have helped slow the explosive growth of its prison population and reducing recidivism. The Utah Foundation reports that investments in drug rehabilitation for offenders can yield significant savings to taxpayers in the long run. Furthermore, 40% of state prison inmates suffer from mental illness and could greatly benefit from medical interventions or psychological … Continued
October 25, 2019(Deseret News) - Autumn is not the season we usually associate with discussions of state tax policy. But with comprehensive tax reform failing to blossom last spring at the close of the general session, state legislators are working to bring reform to fruition before winter sets in. The push for reform comes at a time of prosperity for Utah but also a time when structural challenges are becoming increasingly apparent. As the Utah Foundation revealed in its 2018 … Continued
October 24, 2019(Deseret News) - A Utah Foundation study found that, on average, Utah teachers earn 27% less than full-time, college-educated employees in other professions. Many teachers are forced to work a second job. Many teachers will never make a wage that can support a family of five. At current salaries, teaching is a less attractive profession, and Utah faces a severe teacher shortage. Some 3,000 teachers leave the profession each year and one study found that as many as … Continued
October 24, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - The math simply doesn’t work. You could call it voodoo economics, but it would be an insult to witch doctors. Lawmakers are seeking that tax cut despite a Utah Foundation report earlier this month that showed taxpayers are paying a lower percentage of their earnings in taxes than they have at any time in the past quarter of a century. Then there’s the issue of HOW they want to blow up the existing tax structure. … Continued
September 10, 2025(Standard Examiner) - Over the past two months, the city council has heard from experts on a variety of housing-related items — from national and local trends, the city’s Community and Economic Development Department’s philosophy on housing and how other communities in the United States have addressed the affordable housing crisis. The council also received housing reports from the Ogden Civic Action Network and Utah Foundation, along with an overview of the Ogden Moderate Income Housing Report. Cameron … Continued
October 18, 2019(KCPW) - According to the State Tax Commission, taxes paid as a share of household income peaked in the mid 1980’s. The issue of tax sufficiency to handle future needs was evaluated in a recent report by The Utah Foundation. Weinstein says his organization has concerns about Utah’s low level of education funding. He says teacher retention, pre-school and after school programs are insufficient. He also points out that Utah falls below the national average for high … Continued
October 10, 2019(Deseret News) - Of all the truisms in politics, this one has held steady throughout my years of observation: No one notices when their tax burden falls. People don’t party in the streets or throw confetti from tall buildings when they get to keep more of their hard-earned money gradually, over a period of years. We typically don’t notice anything that happens gradually, except maybe weight gain and hair loss. And yet, according to a new report from … Continued
October 08, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation releases A Lighter Load: Utah’s Changing Tax Burden. The report looks at data over a 24-year span from 1993 to 2016 (the latest data available) and calculates Utah’s tax burden as a ratio of governmental revenue per $1,000 of personal income (the proportion of Utahns’ earnings that are used to fund local and state governmental services). It finds that Utah’s tax burden has seen a strong decline since 2007. While the property tax … Continued
October 08, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - Utah’s state and local tax burden decreased significantly in recent years — and is at its lowest point in a quarter century, according to a Utah Foundation report released Tuesday. It looked at data from 1993 through 2016 (the most current available) and calculated how much state and local governments spend as a percentage of overall personal income. Utah’s tax burden in 2016 was $103.86 per $1,000 of personal income. About a decade earlier, in … Continued
October 06, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - It can be said that the modern history of Utah began with water — and a bet. The year was 1824, and Jim Bridger was sitting around with his fellow mountain men in Cache Valley, on the banks of the Bear River, laying bets over where the water flowed. To settle the bet, Bridger followed the river down and found a giant, briny inland sea. Ever since, water has shaped the contours of Utah’s history … Continued
October 02, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation releases Paying for Water: A Brief Summary of the Series. In this executive summary of Utah Foundation’s new Paying for Water Series, Utah Foundation provides a brief overview of its findings. It reveals that, when considering the role of property taxes alongside water rates, the preferred approach may depend on the water provider’s priorities. The four reports in the series are: High and Dry: Water Supply, Management and Funding in Utah (August 2019) … Continued
September 26, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation releases Getting Clear on Water: Practical Considerations in the Tax Versus Fee Debate. In this fourth installment of Utah Foundation’s new Paying for Water Series, Utah Foundation addresses property taxes and water rates in the context of fiscal impacts, focusing on cost, price for consumers and revenue stability for water providers. It also addresses differences in local needs, transparency and representation. Previous reports provided an overview of water management in Utah and examined … Continued
September 25, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - In light of the legislature’s discussion over whether to reform Utah taxes, the United Utah Party will be hosting a summit on tax reform on Saturday, September 28, at 10:30 am at the Day-Riverside Branch located at 1575 W. 1000 N., Salt Lake City, 84116. The Tax Summit is an opportunity for citizens to learn more about the debate over tax reform. Various perspectives on tax reform will be presented on how or even whether … Continued
September 18, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation releases Who Gets the Bill? Water Finance and Fairness in Utah. In this third installment of Utah Foundation’s new Paying for Water Series, the property tax versus water rate debate is examined from the standpoint of fairness. Specifically, the report looks at fairness issues pertaining to the use of property tax revenues and water rates to pay water providers’ bills. It finds that, depending upon the revenue approach, certain water users may pay … Continued
September 18, 2019(Deseret News) - In Utah, you’re either dying of thirst, metaphorically, or you’re drowning. But mostly, you’re dying of thirst. All of which means you should be paying more for the water you use. Probably a lot more. The Utah Foundation, an independent, nonprofit research group, is in the middle of a three-part series of reports on water costs and conservation in the state. The latest one contains this bit of wisdom, which ought to be self-evident: “Utah … Continued
September 16, 2019(Enterprise) - Utah Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization, has announced several changes to its board leadership. Chad Westover, CEO of University of Utah Health Plans, is the new chair. He previously served as Utah Foundation vice chair. He succeeds Elizabeth Hitch as chair. Hitch is retiring from her position with the Utah System of Higher Education and is departing Utah Foundation’s board. R. Dan Eldredge, general manager of Intermountain Power Agency, is the new vice … Continued
September 14, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - At the public hearings of the Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force, one of the most commonly heard refrains was the declaration that “Utah does not have a revenue problem.” Would that it were so! Alas, the unfortunate truth is that, after many years of tax cutting, Utah finds ourselves unable to keep up with the needs of a fast-growing state. Separate research reported by the Utah State Tax Commission and by the Utah Foundation … Continued
September 12, 2019(Deseret News) - Changes in water rates and taxation that make water prices more market-based must also be considered. In general, it makes sense to use graduated water rates that charge more for higher water use to encourage conservation. It also makes sense to mostly use water rates to pay for water, rather than property taxes that might mask the true costs. However, these are complex issues and the generalities don’t apply in every circumstance. The Utah Foundation … Continued
September 10, 2019(Daily Herald) - The Utah Foundation announced several changes to board leadership Monday. According to a press release, Chair Elizabeth Hitch is retiring from her position with the Utah System of Higher Education and departing the Utah Foundation board. Chad Westover, CEO of University of Utah Health Plans, is the new chair. He previously served as vice chair for the foundation. Other new officers include R. Dan Eldredge, general manager of Intermountain Power Agency as the new vice … Continued
September 09, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation announces several changes to its board leadership. Chair Elizabeth Hitch is retiring from her position with the Utah System of Higher Education and is departing Utah Foundation’s board. The new officers are: Chad Westover, CEO of University of Utah Health Plans, is the new chair. He previously served as Utah Foundation vice chair. A. Dan Eldredge, General Manager of Intermountain Power Agency, is the new vice chair. He previously served as treasurer. Raymond … Continued
September 08, 2019(Daily Herald) - The Utah Foundation recently released a study titled, “Making the Grade? K-12 Outcomes and Spending in Utah” that tries to make sense of why Utah, which spends less on K-12 education than any other state at $7179 per pupil — $5000 below the national average — still does well in most areas measured and even outperforms many higher spending states. Although Utah lawmakers and other state leaders may congratulate themselves on these academic outcomes at … Continued
September 08, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - UCC has been studying Utah public education financing and concludes that legislative removal of the income tax earmark would be a serious mistake. The income tax was earmarked exclusively for public education in 1946, protecting public education as the long-term, prime responsibility of state government. The earmark is under legislative reconsideration at a time when investment in a quality education for Utah’s children has never been more important to meet national and international challenges. Moreover, … Continued
September 08, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - According to the Utah Foundation, rural teachers make up to 40 percent less than comparable teachers in urban districts. And while it’s risky to draw bright lines connecting school funding with success, it’s probably safe to say that those lower salaries contribute to lower test scores among rural students. As Utah focuses on trying to bring the rural economy up to something approaching the high-flying Wasatch Front, it’s worth remembering that quality education is always … Continued
