“Late Wednesday night Utah legislators voted for a revamped version of Senate Bill 234, which takes control of nearly 20,000 acres of Salt Lake City land. This bill is substantially different from the version City officials and State lawmakers had been collaborating on as part of the City’s continuous good faith efforts.

In a matter of a mere 30 minutes, the Senate and House passed a bill that eliminated the City’s land use authority, compromised environmental protections, and took all tax increment. This allows the proposed board to spend it without restrictions including outside Salt Lake City.

The board’s complete lack of accountability significantly undermines the ability of duly elected Salt Lake City officials to represent residents on critical land use issues. The City will no longer be able to make decisions on nearly one-third of Salt Lake City land. Yet the bill still leaves the City with the obligation to provide municipal services to the area, such as public safety and street maintenance, without a revenue source to pay for these additional services.

My team has worked for years with property owners on planning and preparing for the development of the Northwest Quadrant, guided by the values of sustainability, community, and accountability. This is an unacceptable precedent, and we are working vigorously to protect the rights of the City and our residents.”