DALLAS — Before 67% of voters in Utah's Jordan School District defeated the largest school bond proposal in the state's history on Nov. 5, district officials and those from the city of Bluffdale exchanged angry letters over alleged use of public money during the campaign.
The dispute began when Bluffdale mayor Derk Timothy, and City Council members sent a letter to residents urging them to vote against the $495 million bond proposal, accusing the school district of extravagance in its building program. Bluffdale is one of several cities within the district in the suburbs of Salt Lake City.
The letter to Bluffdale voters bearing the city seal prompted a demand from Jordan district attorney John E. S. Robson that city officials "cease and desist" from spending any public money to influence the bond vote or retract any communications already sent.
Timothy told the Salt Lake Tribune that no public money was spent because council members pooled their own funds to pay for the $719 mailing. Bluffdale City Attorney Vaughn Pickell turned the tables, accusing the district of campaigning for the bond issue through its Web site.
Despite the allegations on both sides, no formal investigation has been announced.
The Jordan district, once the state's largest, was reduced to half its size in 2009 after the more affluent eastern half voted to secede and create the Canyons School District. Jordan lost 44 of its 84 schools as well as a large part of its tax base. The district was also hit with $16 million in state budget cuts when the economy began to decline sharply.
Now the fourth-largest school district in Utah, Jordan enrolls more than 52,000 students in 52 schools, with headquarters about 12 miles south of Salt Lake City. Studies indicate enrollment in the Jordan District could increase by more than 29,000 students in the next 10 years, officials said.
