By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Three Utah mayors wrote an opinion piece in the Desert News published October 4 that Nephi Mayor, Mark Jones, agrees with completely.
Jones read the opinion piece entitiled: "The cost of doing nothing on sales tax increase," in its entirety at city council meeting held October 6.
"I suppose you have all seen the ads being shown on TV," said Jones. "Our ability to promote or to lend financial support to promoting the sales tax increase is limited to our personal opinions."
However, he said, he agreed with the stand taken by three Salt Lake Valley mayors in the printed piece.
Kelvyn Cullimore is mayor of Cottonwood Heights; Tom Dolan is mayor of Sandy; Troy Walker is mayor of Draper, said Jones.
"We will have an opportunity, as voters, to approve the sales tax increase in Juab County in this next election," said Jones.
In November, voters will make a decision that will have a lasting impact on our communities. They will have an opportunity to vote yes on Proposition 1.
Prop. 1 would raise the general sales tax by one penny for every $4 spent. The revenues generated would go directly and exclusively to investing in local transportation needs.
These funds are urgently needed now. Cities and counties have been grappling with significant road-maintenance funding shortfalls for years. The gas tax hasn't kept pace with inflation and our population continues to grow. In other words, more people are driving on the roads every day, but funding isn't growing at the same rate.
"We need the funds to keep up with road maintenance in Nephi," said Jones.
He read from the article: "Recent changes to the gas tax still won't cover all the critical needs at the local level for city streets, sidewalks, trails and bus service.
"Some who oppose the bill want you to believe that cities 'already have sufficient funding for transportation' and will be forced to find new projects to use the money. In reality, every city in Salt Lake County has transportation needs that far exceed current funding levels."
Based on data from the State Auditor's Office, Salt Lake County cities, on average, are 62 percent short of the funds needed to keep up with our most critical transportation needs. Current funding is woefully inadequate and the funding deficit becomes more dire with every passing year.
"We are certainly having the same problem in Nephi," said Jones.
"We believe in the conservative principles of limited government and proper stewardship—and it is for that very reason that we support Prop. 1. It is with this perspective that we see Prop. 1 as an investment in our communities, our economy and our quality of life—not only for us, but for our children and their children," Jones read.
"It would be shortsighted not to invest in transportation now. By investing $1 in preventive maintenance, we save $10 to $25 in reconstruction costs later. The real tax increase isn't paying a fraction of a penny now, but paying 10 times more for crumbling roads and sidewalks later. If we do not vote yes for Prop. 1, we are passing this burden on to our children, a burden that is at least 10 times more expensive."
Jones said that he has learned that the city budget will not be able to maintain, let alone improve, crumbling bridge structures and roads in need of maintenance.
Nephi has two waterways that bisect the city on the north and on the south. Only one bridge has recently been replaced. There are many more that need work done but such work is highly expensive.
"We will have to prioritize," said Randy McKight, city administrator.
"Would we tell our children to stop brushing and flossing their teeth every day so we could save money on toothpaste and floss? Imagine the bill from the dentist when years later they went to get their teeth cleaned and instead needed a root canal. Not only would fixing the problem later cost 10 times more, but they would suffer the consequences of poor dental hygiene the rest of their lives.
The same goes for our roads," Jones read.
Our roads, trails and sidewalks are part of the very fabric of our communities and help to support the quality of life we all enjoy. Our transportation infrastructure helps us get around, and it provides for our safety and security. EMTs, firefighters, police officers and school bus drivers depend on the same infrastructure we do to get the job done.
We often take our transportation system for granted because when it's working well, we don't notice it.
"But just because we don't see a 'transportation storm' brewing beneath the surface doesn't mean it's not there and growing each day. Prop. 1 is the peace of mind we need. So, instead of yelling at a pothole for ruining your alignment, use that emotion for good. Take the opportunity to vote yes for Proposition 1 this November," Jones read.
In Nephi, and other communities in Juab County, the money collected from the sales tax will go to take care of roads and bridges in the community and in the county, said Jones.
"We do not have mass transit and we will receive the money for roads," he said.
