A grassroots effort to overturn the 14.65% property tax hike approved last December for Utah’s Salt Lake County has failed.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports the group Ax the Tax sought to collect petition signatures that would have placed the property tax overturn on November’s ballot. The group had a 45-day window beginning in early January to meet its goal of 45,000 signatures, but as of Wednesday the Salt Lake County clerk verified only 6,311 signatures of the 13,477 submitted.
Goud Maragani, a former Republican candidate for Salt Lake County clerk who leads the group, stated Ax the Tax “determined it did not have sufficient verified signatures to qualify for the ballot and immediately transitioned to direct budget reform work.” He added the group “consistently emphasized that their goal has never been a showy protest for its own sake. Their goal has been to secure a seat at the table with elected officials and to engage in open, transparent, and meaningful budget review and cuts.”
The Salt Lake County Council anticipates the property tax increase will generate an additional $36.5 million that will fund public safety services.
