SALT LAKE CITY — No doubt, you already know a bit about the candidates running for office. But what about the other issues a little further down your ballot?
FOX 13 News has compiled this guide to provide you with more information about some of the issues before voters across Utah this year. As always, you can check the status of your voter registration and still register to vote by visiting vote.utah.gov.
AMENDMENTS ON THE BALLOT, NOT COUNTED
Amendments A & D will still show up on your ballot. However, because of rulings by the courts any votes cast on them will not be counted. Amendment D was the first to fall. The constitutional amendment on citizen ballot initiatives faced a legal challenge that went all the way to the Utah Supreme Court. The state's top court found that ballot language advanced by GOP legislative leaders was misleading and the amendment failed to follow the Utah Constitution's strict requirement about publication in a newspaper for a certain period of time leading up to the election.
Amendment A opponents made the same legal arguments to a lower court judge. Faced with the decision of the Utah Supreme Court, the judge ruled Amendment A was void. It would have removed the earmark on income taxes for public education (but also removed the state portion of the sales tax on food if it had successfully passed).
WHAT ABOUT THOSE OTHER AMENDMENTS?
Amendments B & C are not as controversial. In fact, there's no organized opposition to them. Amendment B would expand the amount of money dispersed into a statewide education fund. Amendment C would ensure that county sheriffs are, in fact, elected.
THE $507 MILLION PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELESS SERVICES BOND
Nick Salinas estimates he’s been in and out of Salt Lake County’s jails around “six times since 2018.”
The 26-year-old West Valley resident is one of many inmates who has become stuck in a cycle of reoffending and reincarceration – with county estimates showing about 70% of those booked into the county jail each year are repeat offenders.
“I know a lot of people that are like that,” Salinas said during a recent interview with FOX 13 News.
In November, Salt Lake County voters will get to weigh in on a $507 million public safety bond meant to help people like Salinas – and keep them from reoffending.
If approved, the money would be used to consolidate the two county jails and add new jail beds.
The funds would also help build a new Justice and Accountability Center, where lower-level inmates would have access to dedicated case workers, mental health and substance use treatment, job training and even housing opportunities.
Under the current system, “people that are going into county and then getting out and then going back in and getting out” don’t have many resources available to them when they leave jail, Salinas said.
“They give you a phone call, if you’ve got somebody to call. That’s about it,” he said. “It kind of sucks.”
Members of the Salt Lake County Council previously voted 8-1 across party lines to put the measure on the ballot. They said the priorities of the half-a-billion-dollar bond came together after conversations with local businesses, judges, legislators, homeless service providers, the county sheriff’s office and other stakeholders working to identify gaps in the county’s existing criminal justice system. The bond is part of the county’s broader Human Services, Homelessness and Criminal Justice Action Plan.
A $730 MILLION SCHOOL BOND IN SALT LAKE CITY
Salt Lake City voters will decide whether to fund a $730 million bond for school improvements. Arguments for and against the proposition are here.
TIME TO UPGRADE MURRAY CITY SCHOOLS?
The Murray City School District says the time for upgrades to some school buildings is long overdue.
"Our plumbing, our electrical and mechanical systems are deteriorating,” says MCSD’s superintendent Jennifer Covington. “All of that can be fixed, but that comes at an incredible cost and you still have an older building."
And that's why you'll see a bond request for $125 million for Murray City Schools on your ballot.
$90 million of that would go toward replacing Riverview Junior High.
IRON COUNTY'S SCHOOL BOND
Iron County voters will decide a $66 million bond this year. Here is information via the Iron County School District.
JUDGING THE JUDGES
Think of it as a Yelp or a Google review of judges on the ballot. The Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission has people observe and rank judges that appear on your ballot. You can look up the judges here.
OGDEN VALLEY INCORPORATION
In Weber County, voters will decide whether to incorporate the area of Ogden Valley. Here is a link to arguments for and against it.
REPEAL OF A SALES TAX FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IN UINTAH COUNTY
In Uintah County, voters will decide Proposition 12. It would repeal a 0.3% sales tax that county commissioners approved and earmarked for public safety. Here is the voter information pamphlet on that and a report by FOX 13 News' Max Roth on the issue:
THE ALPINE SCHOOL DISTRICT SPLIT
The Alpine School District is the largest school district in the state of Utah.
In November, voters in several cities will be able to decide whether or not to split the school district up.
"Proposition 11 is for those cities in the central area, so, the residents of Lehi, Highland, Alpine, Cedar Hills, American Fork and then the Utah County portion of Draper will have the initiative on their ballot, so, we'll ask them if they would like to form Alpine school district a new school district with those cities," said Stacy Bateman, Alpine School District Board member.
That would involve splitting the district in two, with the new district being called the Central School District, at this time.
According to recent Utah Legislation, the decision to split a school district had to come from the cities.
WASHINGTON COUNTY RAP TAX
When it was first proposed, Washington County's recreation, arts and parks tax was greeted with suspicion. Now, FOX 13 News Southern Utah Bureau Chief Chris Reed says it has universal support:
SALT LAKE COUNTY ZAP TAX
Salt Lake County's popular zoo, arts and parks tax is up for renewal. Click here for a story FOX 13 News previously did on the proposed tax extension.