Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski announced an effort with Utah Governor Gary Herbert to broker a fair partnership for Salt Lake City in relation to SB234, the Utah Inland Port Authority bill. Governor Herbert reached out to Mayor Biskupski Monday morning and expressed interest in reaching an agreed-upon approach to the Inland Port Authority.

“Governor Herbert’s call is a positive development,” said Mayor Jackie Biskupski. “The City is eager to create a path forward and return to working with the State in good faith.”

The Governor’s call comes as a response to Salt Lake City’s concerns with SB234, which creates an unelected governing board, Inland Port Authority, which usurps local control and undercuts the City’s land use authority. The bill allows an unaccountable board to take up to 100 percent of new property tax revenues that could be spent on anything and anywhere, including outside of Salt Lake City boundaries.

During the next 25 years, the proposed board could take control of $360 million in new property tax revenues from Salt Lake City, $581 million from the Salt Lake City School District and $84 million from Salt Lake City libraries. In total $1.424 billion is at stake if all taxing entities are included. If the board takes 100% of the funding, no money would be available for the City to provide for fire, police, public services and street maintenance for the area—those costs would be on the backs of Salt Lake City residents.

Salt Lake City has proven itself to be a willing partner with the State, community members, businesses and private property owners on development of the Northwest Quadrant. During the past two years, the City has done the following to prepare for the Inland Port:

• Developed and adopted the Northwest Quadrant Master Plan.
• Implemented zoning amendments to support economic development.
• Created a Community Reinvestment Project Area to facilitate growth.
• Established responsible environmental protection in sensitive areas.
• Established Foreign Trade Zone to reduce tariffs and provide economic benefits.
• Built and planned for water and sewer infrastructure needs.

“I continue to urge all Utah residents to contact their elected officials and ask Governor Herbert to veto SB234 and ask him to support local control,” said Mayor Biskupski.