Members of Salt Lake City Council are in an understandably difficult position. No one wants to be perceived as a villain, letting pro-sports teams depart or saying “no” to influential stakeholders. But they also shouldn’t set a dangerous precedent by voting for a regressive tax to cater to billionaire interests and the hypocritical Utah Legislature. Legislators, who criticize California ad nauseam, legislated tax hikes that would push Salt Lake’s rates nearly as high as San Francisco’s.
Despite the seeming inevitability of a “yes” vote, the council should reject the agreement and open the blocks east of Delta Center to competitive bidding.
First, SEG is not leaving. Ryan Smith admitted in April that “we need it downtown” and stated there’s only “plan A,” and Team President Chris Armstrong confirmed Sept. 19 that multi-year renovations are already underway.
The Legislature’s timeline suggests SEG wanted funding prior to acquiring the Coyotes, but the team purchase happened faster than expected. Now, after the council’s July vote evidently made SEG complacent, SEG has been less than transparent, failing to post updates on their revitalization website, a troubling harbinger for other promises.
Now that SEG is committed to staying downtown and wavering on its initial commitments, city leaders owe it to taxpayers to respond appropriately.
If this is indeed not just about the stadium but a generational downtown transformation, why not open bidding for such prime land, as is done with other major city projects? These blocks neighbor a top Utah tourist attraction, with a wealthy, untaxed owner that previously developed neighboring City Creek with a multi-billion investment.
Finally, polling shows 54% of state residents oppose the tax, surely higher in the city.
Approving this tax sets a troubling precedent for public handouts to developers. City Council must stand firm, vote ‘no,’ and negotiate a better deal for taxpayers.
Scott Johnson, Sandy
