2018 Election

“Above all things I hope the education of the common people will be attended to, convinced that on their good sense we may rely with the most security for the preservation of a due degree of liberty.” –Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1787.  

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2018 General Election Results   State website- county results   Almost 75% voter turnout! And for a mid-term… but not just ANY mid-term. State propositions, and 3 local issues created a sense of urgency for Wasatch voters. The 2 local open space bonds passed- Wasatch County 57.66%  and Midway 54.63%.  Proposition #10 was defeated by 62.74%, and the Wasatch County Council decision to move a zoning boundary and introduce higher density in the beloved Central Zone was rejected by a strong majority of the voters.

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Check your registration status here   OCT 9th- Last day to register by mail, Oct 30th- Last day to register online.  Don’t assume you are registered correctly, have you changed your name? Moved? Your voter information NEEDS to be the same as your Utah driver’s license to be valid….

There are many VERY important local, and state, ballot issues for you to decide on when your ballots start arriving on October 16th. This page is a detailed information portal for you to research each issue more fully.

Let’s start with our local Wasatch County ballot. Go here to see County Elections Page.     County Voting MAP   (zoom in to read better),  County document of ALL election ballot issues.

Jared Rigby is the County Sheriff, and Danny Goode, is the Heber North County Councilman- both have no opponents in November.

-Wasatch County School Board- NO real election again! (As usual, the school board seats are running unopposed, since no one wants to run) The school district budget is $84 million this year, and only 5 school board members have this incredible power to spend your money. See our report here!   Cory Holmes – Heber South,   Tyler W. Bluth- Heber North

– County Attorney- Scott Sweat is the incumbent, and has a primary win. Write-in candidate, Kit R. Kosakowski is running as the only other option in November.

– County Council at-Large seat is between  Marilyn Crittenden and write-in candidate, Nick Lopez.

– County Council EAST and NORTH-  Jeff Wade and Mike Dorsey are running.

– County Clerk- Brent Titcomb and Jennifer Lee are running.

– Senate 26-   CATHY CALLOW-HEUSSER – United Utah / RONALD WINTERTON –  Republican  / EILEEN GALLAGHER – Democratic 

– House 54-  MEAGHAN MILLER –  Democratic  /  TIM QUINN – Republican

– U.S HOUSE of Reps Dist 3- JOHN CURTIS– Republican  /JAMES COURAGE SINGER– Democratic /
TIMOTHY L. ZEIDNER- United Utah / GREGORY C. DUERDEN– Independent American 

-U. S. SENATE-  JENNY WILSON- Democratic  / MITT ROMNEY– Republican  /  TIM AALDERS– Constitution /CRAIG R. BOWDEN – Libertarian / REED C. MCCANDLESS – Independent American

 

WASATCH COUNTY BALLOT ISSUES

-Proposition 10- County General Plan Central and Southern Planning Area Boundary Change.
Shall the General Plan be modified to realign a portion of the boundary between the Central and Southern Planning Areas making 650 South the boundary between the two areas for this portion, and adding language explaining the basis for the change? The Central Planning encourages less dense zoning, while the Southern Planning allows for denser zoning. The realignment would add approximately 30 acres to the Central Planning Area and add approximately 20 acres to the Southern Planning Area. This boundary change would not affect the current zoning of the property Area. This boundary change would not affect the current zoning of the property affected without further action by the County Council.

FOR                 〈 〉

AGAINST        〈 〉

Explanation- This was a decision made by the County Council in May 2018, (Yes vote- Kendall Crittenden, Greg McPhie, Spencer Park, Steve Farrell. No vote- Danny Goode, Mark Nelson. Mike Petersen absent.)  and a referendum petition by the citizens was successful, so now it’s on the ballot for the public to decide. This ballot language may be confusing, but it asks if you want a boundary of the General Plan to be moved so one landowner can get a rezone of his 20 acres. The Central Zone is where the North Fields is located, and the Southern Zone is at the very south end of the Central Zone (south of Midway Lane).  HERE’S A MAP   (Green area is the Central Zone). The boundary in question is near 650 South.  — The County Council believes this doesn’t affect the North Fields and is in an area that has different soils and zoning nearby. They do not see this exception to their General Plan as a concern, as well. Some citizens are concerned about the legal precedent of moving ANY boundary of the General Plan. This council decision also is introducing parcels with 1 home per 5 acre zoning into the Central Zone, which the General Plan doesn’t allow. 

Click each flier page below to enlarge:

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Listen to this KPCW report on Prop 10-  AGAINST PROP 10 , and…

FOR PROP 10   Please listen to the councilman agreeing with some of the citizen’s concerns. 1) Admits there are some wetlands in the area they rezoned. 2) Admitted they introduced RA-5 zoning to the Central Planning Area. 3) Admits the North Fields is IN the Central Planning Area, but it’s a ways away, so for some reason he thinks that won’t be open to rezone because of distance? What’s to stop North Fields landowners to ask for rezone, now that RA-5 zoning is IN their zoning area? 4) Council has the right to amend General Plan- but it was done in MAY instead of November, as the code requires. (But citizens ALSO have the right to petition any General Plan amendment and allow citizens to vote on the ballot.) 5). Admits that possibly MORE PARCELS will be rezoned because this council action because of the precedent.

So it’s quite simple, if you are FOR higher density in the fields between Heber and Midway vote YES. If you are AGAINST our agricultural fields (North or South) becoming developed (as the General Plan most certainly suggested) VOTE NO- or AGAINST.

Read an article about the importance of our GENERAL PLAN

Here’s the Pro & Con statements- voter info- General Plan amendment

Reporting this past year on this issue- WTPA Wasatch Open Space page

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-Wasatch County Open Space Bond          

Shall Wasatch County, Utah (the “County”), be authorized to issue General Obligation Open Space Bonds in the amount not to exceed Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000) for the purpose of paying all or a portion of the costs to acquire, preserve, or protect the permanent protection of open space within the County using all available land preservation tools, including but not limited to acquisition of land, development rights, conservation easements, maintenance of use agreements, or related operation, maintenance or start-up expenses; said Bonds to be due and payable in not to exceed thirty-one (31) years from the date of issuance of the Bonds?

Property Tax Costs of Bonds: If the bonds are issued (without the regard to the currently planned issuance of Bonds in phases over time), an annual property tax to pay debt service on the Bonds will be required over a period of thirty-one (31) years in the estimated amount of $19.97 per year on a $300,000 residence and in the estimated amount of $36.30 per year on a business property having the same value.

The foregoing information is only an estimate and is not a limit on the amount of taxes that the County may be required to levy in order to pay debt service on the Bonds. The County is obligated to levy taxes to the extent provided by law in order to pay the Bonds. The amounts are based on various assumptions and estimates, including estimated debt service on the Bonds and taxable values of property in the County.

For The issuance of Bonds (YES)           〈 〉

Against The issuance of Bonds (NO)     〈 〉

Explanation- After the 2016 election where 74% of voters denied a rezone in the North Fields, this county council allowed the open space bond to be put on the ballot this year. (Yes votes- Spencer Park, Steve Farrell, Danny Goode, Mark Nelson. No votes- Mike Peterson, Kendall Crittenden, Greg McPhie). This bond is seed money to help secure grants and private donations for PERMANENT conservation easements for willing landowners. The county created the Wasatch County Open Space Advisory Board to set up criteria, bylaws, to educate landowners and field landowner applications. Only $5 million will be allocated IF the bond passes, then the advisory board will have to ask for the other $5 million from the council after they prove to the council they have accomplished their goals so far. All possible transactions will be approved by the county council once the criteria is met.

To learn more about the benefits of this open space bond go to: https://www.wasatchopenspacebonds.org

Click each flier page below to enlarge:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UTAH Business Magazine article about how to plan for Wasatch Back Growth:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read an article about the importance of Smart Growth and Planning

Don Jarvis- Urban sprawl is a Ponzi scheme- Daily Heraldextra.com

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-Midway (only) Open Space Bond

PROPOSITION
Shall Midway City, Utah (the “City”), be authorized to issue General Obligation Bonds in an
amount not to exceed Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) (the “Bonds”) for the purposes of
partnering with willing landowners, private organizations, land preservation foundations,
governmental agencies and private donors, all at the discretion of the City Council, to pay all or a
portion of the costs to preserve open space (as open space is defined and is consistent with the
Midway City General Plan and as permitted by the laws of the State of Utah) and related
improvements, within the proposed annexation boundaries of the City as established in the land
use map of the City dated December 13, 2017, including but not limited to acquisition of land,
development rights, conservation easements, maintenance of use agreements, or related start-up
expenses; said Bonds to be due and payable in not to exceed twenty-one (21) years from the date
of issuance of the Bonds?
Property Tax Cost of Bonds: if the Bonds are issued all at once an annual property tax to pay
debt service on the Bonds will be required over a period of twenty-one (21) years in the
estimated amount of $110.76 per year on a $440,000 residence and in the estimated amount of
$201.39 per year on a business property having the same value.
The foregoing information is only an estimate and is not a limit on the amount of taxes that the
City may be required to levy in order to pay debt service on the Bonds. The City is obligated to
levy taxes to the extent provided by law in order to pay the Bonds. The amounts are based on
various assumptions and estimates, including estimated debt service on the Bonds and current
taxable values of property in the City.
FOR THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS (YES)              〈 〉
AGAINST THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS (NO)     〈 〉

 

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STATE BALLOT ISSUES

Proposition 2- Medical Cannabis-  Voter info 

Proposition 3- Expanding state Medicare- Voter info 

Proposition 4-  State Redistricting- Voter info

Non binding Opinion Question 1 – Gas tax for education- Voter info

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This website is for educational purposes only, unless it is specifically stated that WTPA has a stance on a specific issue.    To the best of our knowledge this is correct information, but we welcome corrections if errors are found.

Wasatch Taxpayers Association appreciates any, and all, donations to further the cause of transparency and accountability in Wasatch County. Please take a moment and help this ALL volunteer group. Donate tab above.  Or join us today for a yearly membership. Thank You