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City Cast Salt Lake

Local Civics

What's being decided in Salt Lake City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and how you can have a say in your government.

Ali Vallarta

The Utah Legislature is in its interim session, which means they’re already working on ideas for next year. And this month, 

, the lobbying group behind free period products in public schools, hosted a policy pitch competition to source ideas for making our state better and more affordable.

Of 115 submissions, I was delighted to see that all three winners shared ideas we’ve talked about on episodes of our 

🥇“The Utah Rehabilitation, Compliance, and Fair Collections Act”

Utah State University grad student Melaine Webster presented an idea to reform Utah’s criminal debt collection system. People leaving our justice system often see fines and fees piling up faster than they can keep up with, 

 as the debt becomes a barrier to housing and employment.

4 ideas to fund instead of more jail beds

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is when funds are drawn away from a taxing entity (such as the library or school district) to fund development projects. For example, the SLC School District lost 

 to TIF. SLC School Board member Ashley Anderson’s proposal would give the district more representation in these decisions.

The millions SLC schools lost to developers

🥉“The Utah Family Financial Protection Act”

I’ll never forget where I was when I learned that women (especially single mothers) are more likely to 

. Sophia Strong’s proposal would cap payday loan interest rates at 36% in Utah. Right now, they 

Why two local banks ended up on a watchlist

What’s your dream policy pitch to the Utah Legislature? Maybe we can look into it.

Utahns pitched their policy ideas to make the state more affordable. 

Utahns pitch policy ideas to make the state more affordable

A Competition to Make Utah Better

What's being decided in Salt Lake City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and Salt Lake City Council. 

Salt Lake Election and City Hall News

Emily Means

It's a crowded race for Utah’s First Congressional District, with four candidates making their case in the Democratic primary. City Cast Salt Lake sent a survey to all of them, so you can compare where they stand on the issues shaping Salt Lake right now. Here’s their take on the national issues affecting our communities.

Answers are fact checked (see editor’s notes), but are unedited, and candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Utah leaders want to invest in and develop more data centers, like the one proposed in Box Elder County, to support AI. They argue it's a matter of national security and an economic driver. What do you think Utah's approach to data centers should be?

"I support Bernie Sanders' call for a national moratorium on new data centers. We shouldn't be building more until we have strict federal rules barring them from water-stressed regions like ours, mandating 100% clean energy, and protecting communities from environmental harm. We also need to address workforce displacement and regulate AI to ensure transparency, accountability, and public safety. Utah's water, air, and utility bills shouldn't be sacrificed to subsidize Big Tech's profit margins."

"Ban them. Data centers should not be built in Utah. The proposed Box Elder data center alone would consume the equivalent water demand of a mid-sized city in a year, water we don’t have, in a state fighting against losing its largest body of water. I’ll sponsor legislation banning new data centers anywhere in Utah and require existing operators to disclose and fully offset water and energy usage. We either save the GSL or we have data centers; we can’t have both."

"I oppose the proposed Box Elder County Stratos project. I don’t oppose data centers categorically, but we should not approve them unless they meet high standards for water conservation, clean energy, transparency, community engagement, and real public benefit. This project is too close to the Great Salt Lake and adds pressure to an already endangered body of water. These facilities should benefit surrounding communities, not a giveaway to another billionaire running up the tab."

"I support a ban on building any hyper-scale data centers like the one proposed in Box Elder or other water stressed areas in the nation. We are facing one of the worst droughts, we cannot have a policy that compromises our real world for a virtual one. When it comes to a broader data center policy framework, I support mandatory water neutrality standards, cost-causation protections so residents are not subsidizing private infrastructure, and strong ecosystem, noise, and public health standards."

The Trump administration's approach to immigration enforcement has destabilized communities, and local leaders have pushed back against an ICE detention center planned for Salt Lake City. If elected, what specific actions would you take to advocate for Salt Lake's interests related to the detention center and immigration enforcement?

"I ran ‘ICE Out’ legislation in the State Senate to stop masked federal agents from terrorizing our neighbors. I've been protesting ICE and the Salt Lake detention center, and I'll keep showing up. In Congress, I'll fight to abolish ICE and to prosecute the agents and officials responsible for the atrocities. I'll use my oversight authority to demand access to every ICE facility in Utah, inspect conditions firsthand, and demand justice."

"Block the detention center by any means. I will abolish ICE, ban officers and agents from wearing masks, end qualified immunity for officers and agents who break the law, and create a real pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents, Dreamers, TPS holders, and farmworkers, coupled with expanded work visas and strong worker protections so corporations can’t exploit immigrant workers to drive down wages. I will also drive federal funding to more immigration judges for faster processing."

"I oppose the proposed ICE detention center in Salt Lake City, and I would use every congressional tool I have to stop it. That means oversight, appropriations, and public pressure to demand answers: who benefits, what it costs, how families will be treated, and how local communities are affected. I’d fight unlawful raids, require due process, protect Dreamers and mixed-status families, and push for comprehensive immigration reform so Washington stops using immigrants as a political weapon."

"I strongly oppose the building of an iCE detention center in Salt Lake. Doing so would only create fear in our immigrant communities and result in legal abuses like those in California and Minnesota. I would support abolishing ICE, defunding ICE, increasing the number of immigration judges, guarantee removal defense in detention proceedings, support bills that end private and mass detention systems, and work to both stop family separations while reuniting families that our government separated."

The 2034 Winter Olympics will likely be a catalyst for some public improvements, as we get ready to host the world in Salt Lake. What's one project you would prioritize and use some congressional muscle to support between now and 2034?

"The Rio Grande Plan is exactly the kind of bold, visionary infrastructure we should be investing in. Putting the rails underground and reactivating the Rio Grande Depot as a central transit hub would reconnect east and west Salt Lake, end the dangerous freight crossings that have divided neighborhoods since 1870, and unlock 75 acres for housing and development. It tackles transit, housing, and historic preservation in one project. I'll fight for the federal dollars to make it real."

"A real transit backbone for the Wasatch Front. I will push federal infrastructure dollars toward extending and expanding TRAX, electrifying and adding frequency to FrontRunner, building a Salt Lake-to-Park City light rail connection, and adding airport links worthy of an Olympic host. Olympics-driven highway widening is the wrong legacy, congestion always returns, but expanded rail capacity is permanent."

"Conservation of the Central Wasatch should be our Olympic legacy. As mayor, I helped bring stakeholders together around the Mountain Accord and worked to protect the Central Wasatch. In Congress, I’ll continue leading the effort to pass the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act. In the Olympic spirit, Utah can rise to this moment by resolving generational disputes and securing lasting protections for the towering mountain peaks and majestic canyons that define us."

"The biggest is improving public transportation options, specifically environmentally sustainable options across the City. We are going to see an influx of people come in from all over the world and the Trax route to the airport is slow and inefficient. We should ensure the impact of this tourism as green as possible. I would also like to support programs that make current infrastructure more sustainable like initiatives to turn our buses that go to and from our canyons electric."

Want to dig even deeper? Follow these links to read more responses from the candidates:

City Cast Salt Lake sent a survey to all four First Congressional District candidates, so you can compare where they stand on the issues shaping Salt Lake right now. Here’s where they stand on the national issues affecting our communities.

Utah’s First Congressional District Democratic Primary: The Candidates on National Issues

The Democratic primary for Utah’s First Congressional District is shaping up to be one of the state’s most-watched races, thanks to a newly drawn congressional seat that favors Democrats. So, will voters send a Democrat (and *gasp* maybe even a progressive) to Congress? You decide!

City Cast Salt Lake sent a survey to all four candidates, so you can compare where they stand on the issues shaping Salt Lake right now. Answers are fact checked but  unedited, and candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

What makes you uniquely the right person for this job?

: “I'm the only candidate in this race with a real track record of showing up. For years, I've walked picket lines with striking workers, marched with protesters, and stood with the communities others only court at election time. In 2022, I beat a 36-year incumbent by over 50 points and became the loudest voice against Utah's GOP supermajority, even when it meant getting my mic cut on the Senate floor. This work didn't start when I filed to run, and it won't stop on election day.”

: “I've worked as a tax attorney for the past 12 years. I understand how our economic and tax systems work and I know what these broken systems do to ordinary families. I’m the only candidate in this race who isn't a career politician, didn't spend the last few years as a lobbyist, and takes zero money from PACs (corporate or otherwise)*. None of my opponents have the skillset or lived experience needed to make our federal government work for the American people.”

: “I’ve done this job before. I’ve built coalitions to tackle some of our toughest challenges and shown the courage to stand my ground and stand alone when courage is needed. In Congress, I voted to impeach Donald Trump knowing it could cost me my seat. It did. I’ve served as mayor, state senator, and member of Congress, and I know how to deliver results without losing sight of who pays the price when Washington fails. Utah needs someone tested, steady, and ready on day one.”

: “I am young, hungry, and the issues of affordability impact me directly like they impact many of your listeners. Buying a home, raising a family, and having quality health care all at the same time today seem like unreachable goals. I want to bring back the promise of the American dream to young Americans. I also have a track record of integrity. And when elected, I will be the only candidate with big tech experience in Congress**. Making me the most informed member to hold them accountable.”

: *This is a sweeping statement from Michael Farrell. According to federal campaign filings, neither 

 have (see "committee contributions"). The other claims are pretty subjective, especially Farrell's last sentence.

**Liban Mohamed's claim that if elected, he will be "the only candidate with big tech experience in Congress" is wrong. Big Tech is generally defined as the largest technology companies in the U.S. — Alphabet/Google, Meta/Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon. Mohamed has 

. However, according to her biography, Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-WA, 

Do you consider yourself a moderate or progressive?

"I'm the proven progressive in this race. Government should work for working people, not corporate donors. I support Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, the PRO Act, and abolishing ICE. I won't take money from corporate PACs or AIPAC, and I'll say what too many won't: Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and we must end all aid to Israel. Bernie, the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, Natalie Pinkney and labor unions are with me because they know that I will never back down from a fight."

"I am a proud progressive. I believe every worker deserves at least a $20 minimum wage indexed to inflation, no one’s income should be based off tips, billionaires and corporations should pay their share, healthcare shouldn’t be a business, and that we should overturn Citizens United, abolish ICE, codify Roe, and pass the Green New Deal. Democrats win when we deliver for people, not when deliver for our corporate donors or our Big Tech employers or when we do nothing but post or hashtag at folks."

"I consider myself a leader with the courage to do what is right and the discipline to get things done. I voted to impeach Donald Trump and to protect Dreamers in one of the toughest seats in the country because both were right. I’ve also built coalitions to expand health care, protect LGBTQ Utahns, defend public lands, and solve hard problems. I’ll fight to lower costs, make childcare affordable, save the Great Salt Lake, and codify Roe. Call that moderate or progressive. I call it leadership."

"I consider myself a progressive, within the US political discourse, but I don’t see myself as anything more than a reasonably concerned member of society. I believe that healthcare, housing, and Pre-K and childcare should be universal. Also that we are stronger when we lead with genuine diplomacy, respect foreign sovereignty, oppose genocide, and oppose endless wars. We pay into a form of government for a reason, it is time that we have representatives and programs that respond to our needs."

What is your favorite restaurant in CD1, and what do you order there?

"I am a BIG fan of Big Tortas in South Salt Lake – the name really speaks for itself. My go-to order is the Pierna al Horno torta, which is a hearty helping of baked pork leg with cheese, avocado and other fixings, with a healthy helping of whatever sauce they decide to throw in the bag, because they’re all highly addictive. Be careful, because some of them are deceptively spicy!"

"It’s hard to pick just one. CD1 has some incredible restaurants and my wife and I are certainly foodies. We are vegetarians, so we love a great meal with fantastic drinks and a variety of options. Shout out to Rio Grande Cafe, Urban Hill, Cotton Bottom Inn, Wildwood, Saffron Valley, Buds, Franklin Ave, and Vertical Diner. But Eva is our favorite. We always get the gnocchi, brussels sprouts, and whipped ricotta. And don’t forget dessert! Their sticky date pudding is the best in the city."

"Sugar House Station. I love that it has revived restaurants I’ve enjoyed for years and brought them together in a walkable, welcoming spot. It has become one of my regulars. I especially like anything from Canella's menu. My go-to is the Italian salad. I love the walkability and good vibe of the neighborhood. I’d like to help fast-growing, transit-accessible neighborhoods like this keep a local feel, with affordable homes nearby and affordable spaces where local restaurants can thrive."

"Julia’s Mexican Restaurant and the green chicken enchiladas, and Sapa. Truly a gems in our City."

City Cast Salt Lake sent a survey to all four First Congressional District candidates, so you can compare where they stand on the issues shaping Salt Lake right now.

Utah’s First Congressional District Democratic Primary: Meet the Candidates

The Democratic primary election for Utah’s First Congressional District is June 23. Do you know where your favorite candidate stands on the issues? City Cast Salt Lake sent a survey to all four candidates, so you can compare. Here’s their take on affordability.

Answers are fact checked (see editor’s notes) but unedited, and candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Cost of living is top of mind for Salt Lakers. Gas prices are up, grocery prices are up, and local consumer sentiment is at its lowest since 2023. What's the first thing you would propose to make life more affordable for Utahns?

"The first thing I'd push for is raising the federal minimum wage to at least $20 an hour and indexing it to the cost of living. The federal minimum is still $7.25. It hasn't been raised since 2009. I sponsored legislation in the State Senate to fix that, because it's unacceptable that working families watch the price of groceries, gas, and rent climb while their paychecks stand still. A day's work should cover a dignified life. In Utah right now, it doesn't come close."

"First, I will drive down the cost of healthcare through universal healthcare. Nearly 1 in 12 adults has medical debt, and a single hospital stay can wipe out a lifetime of savings. I have lived this. My mom fell ill with a terminal disease when I was 21 and left a short hospital stay with a $150,000 bill. That is a system that is too broken to be fixed. It is a system that needs to be fundamentally reshaped. We are the richest country on Earth. We can afford nice things, including healthcare."

"I’d stop making Utah families pick up the tab for bad choices in Washington. Trump’s tariffs raise prices on food, gas, and everyday goods. War in the Middle East drives costs even higher. Tax breaks for billionaires propel the wealthy further ahead while the rest of us fall behind. I’d work to end the war in Iran, end reckless tariffs, close corporate loopholes, protect health care tax credits, lower drug costs, raise the minimum wage and invest in housing, child care, and good-paying jobs."

"When elected to Congress I will support a federal affordability package. This package will include policies such as: Medicare for All, Universal Pre-K and childcare, building more housing and preventing private equity from owning homes, relief and reform to our higher education loans system, and rent-stabilizing measures for fast-growing economies. It is time the federal government steps up to ensure the prosperity of its citizens."

Utah's primary approach to housing affordability has been supply/demand — the idea that if we build more housing, it will lower prices by lowering demand. What other strategies would you support at the congressional level to make housing more affordable?

"Building more housing matters, but the private market alone will never solve this crisis. We need to repeal the Faircloth Amendment so the federal government can build public housing again. We also need to ban the algorithmic price-fixing software corporate landlords use to coordinate rent hikes, crack down on private equity firms treating homes like financial instruments, and pass the Place to Prosper Act to curb unjust rent hikes and evictions. Housing is for people, not profits."

"Wall Street is buying homes faster than working families can compete*. I will work to increase funding for affordable housing to be sold at cost to first-time homebuyers. I will also ban hedge funds and corporations from owning single-family homes, force existing corporate-owned houses back onto the market, convert the mortgage interest deduction into a refundable tax credit, fund $20,000 in downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers, and create a refundable renter’s tax credit."

"Supply matters, but it isn’t enough. I serve on a national housing crisis task force and advise cities and states on urban infill strategies to activate land near transit for affordable housing. I’ve published these ideas, helped draft legislation, and built relationships needed to get it done. In Congress, I’d turn that work into long-term affordability protections, cutting red tape to make it easier to manufacture modular homes, and more homes in vibrant, walkable neighborhoods."

"I will support legislation to ban corporate price-fixing algorithms for renters and restrict private equity ownership of housing. Expand federal affordable and social housing grants and incentivize first-time homeownership. Increase federal investment in social dense housing developments. Propose legislation to limit the number of units or acreage a person can own. And partner with state and local entities to cut unnecessary zoning barriers and accelerate the development of affordable housing."

: *Michael Farrell's claim that "Wall Street is buying homes faster than working families can compete" needs more context. Real estate website Redfin recently reported investor home purchases nationally have 

. In Utah, Axios reported last year that 

 — though they've held steady in Salt Lake City.

As housing prices have increased, so has Utah's homeless population. State leaders support a treatment-first approach, where individuals are compelled into mental health and substance use treatment, versus housing first, where treatment is voluntary. Which approach do you support and why?

"I support Housing First. Homelessness is fundamentally a housing crisis, people can’t get ahead until they have a stable place to live, and I know that first-hand. Compelled treatment is a punitive model that’s consistently failed to make communities safer or healthier. We need to invest in voluntary mental health and addiction services, expand affordable housing, and send trained social workers, not police, to respond to people in crisis. Dignity and stability get better outcomes than coercion."

"Housing First, and it’s not close. Decades of evidence show that stable housing is the foundation for everything else. People in stable housing complete treatment at higher rates, hold jobs, and reunite with families. Utah’s own pilot programs have shown that you can’t compel someone into recovery*. I will direct federal funding to permanent supportive housing, not coerced institutionalization."

 "As mayor, I helped reform our homelessness system and led the fight to expand Medicaid so people could access mental health and substance-use treatment**. I support Housing First. I oppose the proposed Salt Lake City homelessness mega campus. That approach reverses the hard work and progress I made when I was mayor. I support enforcing no-camping laws and keeping communities safe, but we must simultaneously provide adequate shelter, treatment, and real places for people to go."

"It’s hard to force anyone to do anything, and unless that person wants that change for themselves, compelling them to change will not end in long-term results. We also know that what gives people the most stability is a place to call home. At the end of the day, I believe that the only right answer here is a housing first approach. One of the core promises in my agenda is that housing should be a human right, this should not change just because one faces more or certain difficulties in life."

: *Michael Farrell's claim that "Utah’s own pilot programs have shown that you can’t compel someone into recovery" — it's unclear what programs he's referring to. 

Operation Rio Grande (see below) had a drug court option

 to funnel people into treatment in exchange for clearing their criminal charges.

**Ben McAdams' claim that he "helped reform our homelessness system" during his time as Salt Lake County mayor needs more context. As mayor, McAdams 

 (ORG), the state-led homelessness effort that primarily 

. It was followed by the closure of the large Road Home shelter and a transition to the scattered-site model for homeless resource centers. Critics of ORG call it "Operation Leaf Blower"; essentially, that it moved the unsheltered population from downtown to other neighborhoods.

City Cast Salt Lake sent a survey to all four First Congressional District candidates, so you can compare where they stand on the issues shaping Salt Lake right now. Here’s where they stand on affordability.

Utah’s First Congressional District Democratic Primary: The Candidates on Affordability

Did you receive a ballot for the Democratic primary in Utah’s First Congressional District? City Cast Salt Lake sent a survey to all four candidates, so you can compare where they stand on the issues shaping Salt Lake right now. Here’s their take on the environment.

Answers are fact checked, but are unedited, and candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Utah had the worst snowpack on record this past winter, and the Great Salt Lake has already reached its maximum elevation for the year. President Donald Trump has pitched $1 billion to save the lake. What specific solutions would you support funding with that line item?

"The Great Salt Lake is a public health emergency. As it shrinks, arsenic and heavy metals from the lakebed blow into the air along the Wasatch Front. One billion is a start, but saving this lake will take $1 billion+ a year. I'd direct that funding toward securing federal water leases, mandating minimum lake levels, and regulating Big Ag's water use, which accounts for the vast majority of consumption in the basin. The lake won't be saved by half-measures."

"Federal funding should prioritize funneling more water into the Great Salt Lake through coordination with neighboring states, restrictions on large agricultural water use (such as alfalfa farms), incentives for Utahns to convert their lawns to a xeriscape or zeroscape, watershed restoration, wetland protection, water reuse infrastructure, and dust mitigation to protect Utahns from toxic air caused by declining GSL levels. We also need a total ban on data centers being built anywhere in Utah."

"I’d eradicate thirsty phragmites and other invasive plants that are overgrown on the banks of the Jordan River. This would get more water to the lake and also make the Jordan River corridor safer and more recreation friendly. That would be about 10% of the solution. We won’t save the Lake unless we also address agricultural uses. Funding can pay for agricultural water diversion, conservation, metering, and water shepherding so conserved water reaches the lake instead of being reused upstream."

"Saving the Great Salt Lake is such a public health and national security threat to our lives, communities, and so many of our biomes, that I have made the promise to make an appropriation for efforts in this regard the first thing I do when I get to Congress. The following policies are some in my plan to save the Great Salt Lake: Minimum enforceable lake levels, Federal ecosystem restoration on-going funding, Interstate water conservation coordination, Wetlands restoration, Broader water law reform."

Gov. Spencer Cox wants to double the state's energy production in the next 10 years. What energy sources should we prioritize and why?

"We can't double energy production by doubling down on the fuels of the past. Utah sits on some of the best geothermal resources in the country, and with serious federal investment we can become the world leader in it. We should keep scaling wind, solar, and storage, modernize our grid, and make sure big industrial users pay their fair share instead of passing costs onto your utility bill. Clean energy is cheaper, better for the environment, and made right here."

"Geothermal, wind, and solar. Utah has world-class geothermal resources that we have barely tapped, and Utah’s ability to tap into sun and wind resources is nearly unmatched. These energy sources are faster to deploy than dirty energy, cheaper per megawatt-hour, and don’t require decade-long buildouts or unsolved waste problems. Congress should pass the Green New Deal, and America can lead the way in clean energy for at least the next 50 years. Instead we're currently letting China eat our lunch."

"I don’t accept the premise that Utah should double energy production at any cost. We should grow only as fast as we can do it sustainably — protecting the Great Salt Lake, improving air quality, conserving water, and preserving the public lands and outdoor way of life that make Utah special. As we grow, we should prioritize clean sources like solar, geothermal, storage, and efficiency that lower costs and create jobs without leaving our kids the bill."

"We need to prioritize green renewable energy, point blank and end of discussion. Both solar and wind farms should be at the front. It is an ambitious project, but we need to dare to once again lead. We have the will and the funds to make this transition, we just need the political power. We will need an increase in energy production to meet our daily needs in our near future. There is no reason to compromise our health, environment, or the prosperity of the younger generations to get there."

Salt Lake had the worst air quality in the country this January. Utah's air has improved over the past hundred years, but Salt Lakers still suffer on bad air days. What congressional levers would you pull to clean up District 1's air?

"Salt Lakers, especially on the Westside, are losing years off their lives due to health complications from our horrible air quality. I'll fight for federal investment in clean energy like geothermal, wind, and solar to retire coal and natural gas plants, secure permanent water flows to the Great Salt Lake so toxic dust stops blowing off the lakebed, expand public transit to cut tailpipe emissions, and strengthen the Clean Air Act and provide agencies with the resources to actually enforce it."

"First, fully fund the EPA and tighten national air-quality standards, and stop Trump from gutting them. Second, redirect federal transportation dollars to electrify TRAX and FrontRunner, expand bus service, and reduce single-occupancy commuting. Third, require federal permitting at the Inland Port to actually account for cumulative air pollution and the lakebed dust crisis. Salt Lakers shouldn’t have to choose between living here and breathing safely."

"I’d pull every federal lever to clean our air: EPA enforcement, replacing dirty diesel buses and trucks, electric vehicle incentives, transit, safe bike lanes, incentives to electrify homes and buildings and accelerate our transition to clean energy instead of fossil fuels. I’d also support housing near transit and walkable neighborhoods so people can drive less. Most importantly, I’ll fight to save the Great Salt Lake, because toxic dust from the exposed lakebed is an air quality crisis."

"Investing in clean renewable energy is my number one priority on this end. We must do what we can to reduce the number of admissions that we emit to the ozone. We also need to address the toxic dust that is making it to our lungs as the Great Salt Lake slowly dries up. As outlined above, I have a plan to save the Great Salt Lake but we are already getting a taste of it. I would also like to re-incentize electric vehicles but doing so in a way that we can increase our choices as consumers."

City Cast Salt Lake sent a survey to all four First Congressional District candidates, so you can compare where they stand on the issues shaping Salt Lake right now. Here’s where they stand on the environment.

Utah’s First Congressional District Democratic Primary: The Candidates on the Environment

Terina Ria

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall unveiled her proposed 

 this week, outlining a $498.9 million General Fund spending plan. While the total cost of running the city tops $2 billion, the General Fund is the resident-funded portion (covered by property taxes, sale taxes fees, fines, etc.). In other words: It’s our money, so let’s look at where it’s going.

How SLC Wants To Spend $499 Million

One of the biggest headlines in this year’s proposed budget is the 

the mayor says would generate $13.5 million

 to help offset inflation, rising labor costs, and shrinking federal support. For a Salt Lake home valued at $624,000, that’s about $9.87 more per month.

Your monthly utility bill is also expected to climb: 

For a single-family household, that could mean about $14 for water (for low-water users), $11 for sewer, and $3 for waste and recycling service, $2.60 for street lighting, and $1.75 for stormwater.

If you’re doing the math, with property tax and utility changes, the average household could end up paying about 

The police department (28%) and the fire department (12%) combined make up about 40% of the budget.

: Police department (including a full-time drone pilot for the SLCPD’s Real Time Crime Center)

: Fire department (including staffing, operation, maintenance and the Wildland Firefighting Expansion)

 Street maintenance (including $1.5 million for ADA sidewalk and crossing upgrades)

YouthCity and family programming restoration after federal cuts

: Downtown beautification for the 2027 Salt Lake Temple reopening

Volunteers of America Homeless Outreach team and Shelter the Homeless

The SLC Council has until June 30 to approve a final version of the budget, and residents can share their feedback before then.

📞 Leave a voice message at (801) 535-7654.

 on Tuesday, May 19 or Tuesday, June 2 at 7 p.m.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the purpose of the $400K line item. It will actually be used for general downtown beautification during the 2027 temple reopening. A city spokesperson said the beehive lamppost proposal is no longer moving forward.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall unveiled her proposed fiscal year 2027 budget this week, outlining a $498.9 million General Fund spending plan. The General Fund is the resident-funded portion. In other words: it’s our money, so let’s look at where it’s going.

The Mayor’s $498.9 Million Budget Proposal

The Mayor’s $499 Million Budget Proposal

It's been a minute since the 2026 legislative session ended, which has been great for our collective blood pressure here in Utah.

But some of us are still noodling over what happened — like me, Emily Means, City Cast Salt Lake's executive producer and a former politics reporter. I'm obsessed with the drama that unfolded on the final night, when the Senate passed a bill after the midnight deadline and had to void the results.

, which FOX 13 reporter Ben Winslow coined the 

 Lawmakers seem keen to revisit the idea in the future, so let's talk about this proposal that asks: Is Salt Lake County too big?

The TL;DR of this 352-line legislation is it provided a pathway for a group of cities to leave a county and form their own. Why would they want to do that? Maybe their politics don't align with county leadership; maybe they think they can offer better services to their residents.

Now, there's already a way for citizens to initiate a split, but HB 212 created a different process:

The city councils of the cities that want to leave vote to do so. Their combined population needs to be at least one-third of the county's population, and they can't split a city with the proposed boundaries of the new county.

Those cities fund a study to determine the cost of leaving and how the new county will do all the things it's required to do, like having a health department and a sheriff.

In the next general election, if a majority of voters in 

 the "old" and "new" counties approve the split, it's official.

The bill specifically applies to counties with a population greater than one million residents. That means only Salt Lake County qualifies (at 1.2 million residents), though Utah County is inching closer with about 800,000.

The Salt Lake County Council voted to take a neutral stance on the bill. There was no public comment on it during its legislative hearings.

Back to this question about Salt Lake County being too big. Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, sponsored the bill. During his presentations, he kept saying — and I'm paraphrasing here — that as government gets bigger, it moves further away from who it represents.

I called up Teuscher and asked what he meant by that.

" What happens is the county continues to grow and grow and provide certain services, and they don't get as much feedback from what people really want," he said. "It becomes this sort of invisible layer of government that doesn't have a very good check and isn't well connected to people."

Teuscher said now that there are "wall-to-wall" cities across Salt Lake, there's a lot of overlap between municipal and county services, like libraries, parks, and law enforcement. Fewer than 12,000 residents live in unincorporated areas, meaning they're not part of a city and Salt Lake County government is the only local government they have.

As far as a number, Teuscher said he couldn't give a "perfect answer for what the right size" is. According to an analysis of Census data by 

, Salt Lake County is the 39th largest county in the U.S.

Mostly, Teuscher told me he hoped the bill could give cities "leverage" to challenge the county's role and how resources are allocated.

" I'm not even necessarily sold on the fact that we have to split Salt Lake County," he said. "But my fear is … that the county itself holds so tightly to those types of things that the only way that you might be able to start having a real conversation like that is by looking at splitting the county."

Here's the burning question for me: What cities want to leave Salt Lake County? I asked Teuscher directly, and he said he's talked with some mayors about it, but he "[doesn't] think there are any cities that are willing to go on the record right now to say that."

However, the Salt Lake County Council meeting on Jan. 27, 2026 gives some clues. During a discussion about HB 212, Councilmember Sheldon Stewart, from the southwestern part of the valley, said, "There is a segment of our population, which I represent, that really has struggled, especially with Salt Lake City."

Stewart elaborated that it's not about political ideology but rather transit funding. He said there's "resentment" among cities in his area that feel their access to transit isn't as robust as Salt Lake City's for what they spend.

So, I emailed the mayors of the five cities that seemed most likely to be disgruntled — Herriman, South Jordan, West Jordan, Bluffdale, and Riverton.

All of them said essentially the same thing: They aren't involved in any discussions about splitting the county.

The strongest response came from Riverton Mayor Tish Buroker.

"I do not support, and would not consider, separating from Salt Lake County," she said. "One of the reasons the County is moving their offices from 2100 South to Midvale is to be more accessible to the southwest quadrant of the valley, which is appreciated. I look forward to continuing to work with Salt Lake County."

OK, zero-for-five on the most likely cities. So, I decided to go big and ask every municipal mayor in the county — all 23 of them — if they've discussed or considered leaving Salt Lake County.

I heard back from 17 of them by the time we published this story: Alta, Bluffdale, Draper, Herriman, Holladay, Kearns, Midvale, Millcreek, Murray, Riverton, Sandy, Salt Lake City, South Jordan, South Salt Lake, Taylorsville, West Jordan, and White City. Again, 

 of them told me they had not discussed or considered leaving Salt Lake County. Except Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski, who declined to comment. You can read all of the mayors' responses below.

Midvale Mayor Dustin Gettel mentioned the strength of the city's partnership with the county. But beyond that, he said the nuts and bolts of splitting "would make it extremely difficult to justify."

"Standing up a new county would come with significant costs to taxpayers, require rebuilding services and infrastructure that the county already provides effectively, and demand years of time and staff resources that our city would much rather invest in serving our residents," Gettel said. "It's just not something that makes sense for Midvale."

FYI, I asked Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson's office about the bill and if they were aware of any cities that wanted to leave. A spokesperson declined to comment, except to point to the County Council's neutral stance on the legislation.

HB 212 failed this session, but Teuscher said this is a long game for him. He introduced the bill in the 2025 general session and will likely bring it back next year. There's been whispers that the Legislature may revisit it in a special session, but Teuscher doesn't expect that.

" I think it's an important bill, but it is not an urgent bill," he said.

In the meantime, Salt Lakers will ponder: What's the proper size of a county government? Or maybe that's just what keeps nerds like me awake at night.

When the 2026 legislative session ended, the Senate passed a bill after the midnight deadline: HB 212, coined the "Salt Lake County divorce bill."  Lawmakers seem keen to revisit the idea in the future, so let's talk about it: Is Salt Lake County too big?

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