Utah County commissioners last week discussed the possibility of asking voters to approve a quarter-cent sales tax hike in November as they search for ways to address what some have called a highway crisis waiting to happen.
Such a tax hike would generate about $122 million of funding over 10 years. Officials have not yet worked out whether transportation projects would be funded with cash or bond proceeds. They note the money will help with the most crucial projects but not make a dent in the county's overall transportation needs.
And there is not likely to be much help from the state. The Legislature was forced to use more than $600 million from Utah's Centennial Highway fund - its largest transportation funding source - to bridge budget gaps last year.
To help spur their ballot plan, commissioners have asked planners to write proposals detailing projects that could be built with money raised from the sales tax hike. At this time, commissioners say, it's unclear whether that revenue should be spent on rail or roads.
