The Lake Powell Pipeline is going to be a crippling investment for our state.
The $2.2 billion project is not only going to be financially taxing for Washington County residents, but for all Utahns. We are already paying for this unnecessary project through our sales tax. One-sixteenth of every cent goes into a fund specifically for water development. If you live in Utah or have ever visited Utah, you have already contributed to this project, whether you like it or not.
The only repayment model that has gone public was in a 2019 legislative audit, where they cited an 85-year repayment period — 85 years! That is multiple generations that will have to pay for this project, and as each year goes by the interest will keep building which could potentially push this project into the 10’s of billions in total costs by the time it is paid off.
Certainly, this project should require voters approval before any contracts are let out. Certainly, there has to be a firm repayment plan vote separate from the project voter approval. The recent inland port project and this pipeline are created in the fog of war that excludes sound government policy. We certainly need an administration that knows the difference between actions in the fog and sound fiscal policies benefiting the public without indebtedness and higher taxes and with widespread public hearings.
Peter Hovingh, Salt Lake City
