SALT LAKE CITY — A group of Republican lawmakers and a former mayor called Monday on Democratic Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams to stop airing "blatantly deceptive" commercials in his race against Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah.

What's being challenged is the claim made in the commercials by Draper Mayor Troy Walker, a Republican, that, "As mayor, Ben worked with Republicans to balance the budget and lowered the county tax rate each year."

McAdams' campaign stands by the statement and said since he took office in 2013, "the county property tax rate has gone down, as confirmed by the Utah State Tax Commission tax rate tables."

State lawmakers said during a news conference at the state Capitol Monday, organized by Rep. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, that McAdams should not be taking credit for the Salt Lake County property tax rate.

That's because property tax rates automatically fluctuate annually, to ensure the same amount of revenue is collected under the state's truth in taxation laws. So when property values go up, tax rates drop, unless local officials take action.

"As county mayor, Mr. McAdams has done nothing to affect either higher or lower property tax rates. It would be like me taking credit for the weather outside today," McCay said.

But McCay also said McAdams then should take responsibility for raising taxes, including through a 2014 renewal of the Zoo, Arts and Parks Tax and a $9.4 million increase in 2015 that still kept the rate lower than the previous year.

"You can't have it one way without having the other," he said. "If Mr. McAdams wants to argue that he deserves credit for reductions, he probably ought to stand up and take credit for the increases as well."

Former South Jordan Mayor Dave Alvord said he "kind of fell out of my chair" when he heard the ad, calling McAdams "Santa Claus. There's nothing he didn't want to pay for. He's a lot of good things, but fiscal conservative just isn't one of those."

Alvord did not seek re-election in 2017 and has endorsed Love. He said it's "no surprise" that a fellow Republican, Walker, is supporting McAdams, because Draper benefited from how the county allocated transportation funds last year.

"Taxation is so powerful," Alvord said, describing the claim that property tax rates went down every year in the county during McAdams' time as mayor "a technicality. He knows better."

McAdams' campaign spokeswoman Alyson Heyrend said in a statement that while Love's votes in Congress "have blown up the federal deficits," the mayor has put forth balanced budgets approved by the GOP-majority Salt Lake County Council.

"When it comes to fiscally responsible policies and actions, Mayor McAdams walks the walk, unlike Rep. Love, who has routinely broken her promise to 'never' add to the federal debt and who raised property taxes in Saratoga Springs by 116 percent in 2008," Heyrand said.

Related:

Expert says 'there's no going back' as both Love, McAdams running negative TV commercials

The latest TV commercial from Rep. Mia Love features a narrator who sounds like former President Bill Clinton thanking Love's Democratic rival, Ben McAdams, "for all your help." McAdams is debuting an ad saying love has 'gone Washington.'

That year, the Saratoga Springs City Council, including Love, voted for the increase mostly to pay for police and fire protection after the 2008 housing market crash left the newer community with a $3 million shortfall.

Love was also criticized during her first run for Congress in 2012, an unsuccessful bid against now retired-Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, for raising taxes 21 percent in 2009 and 13 percent in 2010, the year she became mayor of Saratoga Springs.

The 25 public officials whose names appear on a statement calling on McAdams to stop running the commercials include leaders of the Utah GOP. No one at Monday's news conference was a Democrat.

The statement said McAdams' TV commercial claim "misleads voters and erodes voter understanding" of how the property tax system works, something that is critical so voters can hold public officials accountable.

The news conference was not a Love campaign event, the congresswoman's spokeswoman, Sasha Clark, said. Clark, who wrote the statement, said the campaign is "supportive. Absolutely we were supportive."

The race between Love, first elected to Congress in 2014, and McAdams to represent the 4th Congressional District is considered the most competitive in Utah. The district includes portions of Salt Lake and Utah counties.

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