SALT LAKE CITY — Less than three weeks remain until 160,000 unincorporated Salt Lake County residents weigh in on a historic vote to chart the future structure of their government, but the complex issue has many voters confused and uncertain of how to cast their ballots.

The community preservation vote, made possible under SB199, passed earlier this year by the Utah Legislature, is meant to clarify which county areas will become cities and how unincorporated areas will be managed.

It's an issue the county has struggled with for decades, as unincorporated parts of the county have been chipped away through annexations, and residents have had to choose between local control and high-quality services, said Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams.

"Ultimately, this is the communities' decisions," McAdams said. "We just want them to be happy. … Depending on what decisions they make, it will have different impacts on the county, but no matter what they choose, we will make it work."

The largest unincorporated areas — the townships of Millcreek, Kearns, Magna, Emigration Canyon, Copperton and White City — face a two-part question.

The first is whether they will become a city or a metro township, which would have a five-member council empowered to enact ordinances and zoning but no taxing authority.

The second asks residents if want to join the Municipal Services District, which would provide services such as snowplowing and streetlighting. If they choose not to join the district, the townships will have to self-manage with their own sales tax revenue.

As for the other incorporated areas — various communities and subdivisions lingering within or near city boundaries — residents will choose between staying unincorporated or annexing into a nearby city. Most of these unincorporated islands would be annexed by Sandy, but two would be annexed by South Jordan and Cottonwood Heights.

McAdams said the outcome of the community preservation vote will not change how much residents pay in taxes, only how the revenue is spent — with or without a buy-in-bulk advantage.

"The options before them are two good options," the mayor said. "It's really a decision about what degree of local control versus the shared regional services. If you spread the cost amongst 160,000 people, you can get more bang for your buck through municipal services. But if you want complete autonomy, it's going to be a little more expensive."

Millcreek

Residents of Millcreek, the county's largest township with roughly 60,000 residents, seem to be the most split between whether to become a metro township or a city.

Two political issues committees have emerged advocating for either side: Millcreek Neighbors for Representative Government wants Millcreek to become a city and take control of municipal services; but Preserve and Protect Our Millcreek Township favors the metro township option and joining the Municipal Services District.

A mailer war has broken out between the two groups, and competing yard signs have started popping up around Millcreek.

"Millcreek is in a very different situation than all of the other townships," said Hugh Matheson, with Millcreek Neighbors for Representative Government, noting that Millcreek is the only township that generates more tax revenue than the cost of its municipal services.

According to a Salt Lake County fiscal report, Millcreek's tax revenue pays for 105 percent of its services.

Those in favor of Millcreek City also argue that "local government should be local," Matheson said, and residents would have better control of tax revenue if it forms a City Council rather than allowing the Municipal Services District board, which would consist of people from all over the county, decide how to allocate funds.

"Millcreek can stand alone," Matheson said. "Let's not pool our taxes and give away control to a committee from other townships."

But Max Worthington, president of Preserve and Protect Our Millcreek Township, said residents voted three years ago by a supermajority, 60 percent to 40 percent, to stop incorporation of Millcreek. For those same reasons, residents should say "no" to becoming a city and "yes" to joining the Municipal Services District, Worthington said.

"There are so many hidden costs associated with forming a city," he said.

Worthington indicated that while Millcreek pays more than 100 percent of its fair share for services, the cost does not represent what an entire city budget would look like, and Millcreek would have to go into debt to start a city.

Becoming a metro township and joining the Municipal Services District would mean participating in a "co-op" for bulk-buying power to help the unincorporated county as a whole rather than adding unnecessary expenses, he said.

"We like it the way it is," Worthington said. "Leave us alone for the last time."

Both Worthington and Matheson say they're optimistic that residents will vote in favor of their respective groups' opinions, while acknowledging that there still seems to be a large amount of undecided voters.

"Unfortunately, this event is extremely confusing," Worthington said. "The important thing is to go study the issues and vote with as great understanding as you can get."

As of Friday, less than 15 percent of vote-by-mail ballots had been returned, according to Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen.

Other townships

County officials have been working to inform voters of the community preservation vote while maintaining a neutral opinion throughout the process. Information pamphlets were mailed to voters containing arguments submitted by advocates of differing positions.

Featured in the pamphlet are arguments from Magna and Kearns residents advocating for both city and metro township, but no argument was submitted — despite the county's invitation — objecting to joining the service district.

"The closest thing to 'status quo' is to be a metro township and join the Municipal Services District," wrote David Taylor, of Kearns, and Mick Sudbury, of Magna.

They said there's no need to create new public works departments for each township with duplication of administration while townships could benefit from economies of scale by sharing the revenue pool.

Cynthia Furse, of Emigration Canyon, and Chris Drent, of Copperton, also argued in favor of the metro township and services district because of their areas' small tax base. According to the county's fiscal analysis, Emigration Canyon pays less than 60 percent of the county's services costs.

"Because of our size and lack of commercial tax base, becoming a city in my opinion is not an option," Drent wrote.

County Councilman Michael Jensen argued similar grounds for White City becoming a metro township because no residents submitted any arguments.

But Brent Helsten, of Kearns, and LaDell Bishop, of Magna, argued in favor of becoming a city because city government is an established, proven structure.

"The idea of a metro township is a new concept of local government and has not really been tried before, but a city has," Bishop wrote. "People in our community have been talking about becoming a city for a long time. Well, now is our chance to do just that, and we can."

No residents submitted arguments in favor of making White City or Emigration Canyon a city or Copperton a town, but Midvale Mayor JoAnn Seghini and Murray Mayor Ted Eyre did. They said incorporation provides accountability by electing local officials, while a metro township council will have only some influence to advocate for county decisions.

They also called the concept of a metro township an "experiment fraught with uncertainty."

"Incorporating as a city also provides the opportunity to identify the best way to provide municipal services, to control local planning and zoning, and preserve your sense of identity," the mayors wrote.

Unincorporated islands

Residents Cindy Dechart, of Willow Creek, and Mary Young, of Granite, the two largest unincorporated islands, argued against annexation into Sandy, expressing fears of losing their areas' historical character and identities.

"Keep Willow Creek unique," Dechart wrote. "I have lived in Willow Creek since 1971 and have no complaints about services. … We wouldn't benefit from a change."

Young said the Sandy City Council would have an interest in developing Granite's "rural charm."

"Residents need to recognize that the housing density and possibility of commercial development will naturally increase with annexation into Sandy city," she wrote.

But Willow Creek resident Cindi Sharkey and Granite residents Ray and Marilyn Anderson argued in favor of annexation, citing economic and service benefits.

"Over the long term, we expect Sandy property taxes to remain lower than Salt Lake County taxes due to Sandy's strong commercial tax base," the Andersons wrote.

"Voting for status quo means opting to pay much more for services," Sharkey said. "Some may feel it's worth it. But let's not forget that a resident choosing annexation still lives in Salt Lake County and still receives the generous benefits of certain countywide services (like libraries and senior centers) and representation."

As for the smaller islands, South Jordan Mayor Dave Alvord and Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, argued for annexation, and no residents submitted arguments in opposition.

"I strongly urge residents of unincorporated islands to annex into their adjacent city," Niederhauser wrote. "These areas are surrounded entirely by one or more municipality, which creates major challenges for the delivery of municipal services. … Unfortunately, this is currently the case for most of these small islands."

The county's fiscal analysis also shows that residents of the islands who vote to join an adjacent city will actually experience a tax decrease, Niederhauser added.

In such areas near South Jordan, Alvord said residents would realize a net average reduction in taxes of about $46 annually based on a property valued at $360,000.

"By annexing this section of property into South Jordan, residents will formally receive the quality services that immediate adjacent South Jordan city neighbors currently receive, and by default in many cases, residents in this section already receive," he said.

For more information about community preservation, visit Salt Lake County's website.

Swensen said about 10 percent of vote-by-mail ballots had been returned countywide as of Friday.

Related topics