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SALT LAKE CITY — Democratic candidate for governor Mike Weinholtz said he supports a "slight" increase in state income taxes for schools, plus an additional tax boost for Utahns earning more than $250,000.
Weinholtz, who along with GOP Gov. Gary Herbert participated in a University of Utah Hinckley Institute of Politics candidate forum Tuesday, said he backs a 0.875 percent tax hike on all Utahns, and another 1 percent on top of that for high earners.
The chairman of CHG Healthcare also told reporters he would look at raising the state's gas tax "in the long term" because money now going to roads should be shifted to help schools.
"I think we need to make sure we are prioritizing education," Weinholtz said, by shifting funds from other areas of the state budget. "But it is going to require a tax increase … to really give our children the kind of education they deserve."
He said the 0.875 percent increase proposed by Education First, a coalition of Utah business executives, would raise about $600 million for K-12, while the extra 1 percent he wants the wealthy to pay would go toward higher education.
The increase would push the state's largely flat-rate income tax to about 6 percent for Utahns earning less than $250,000, and to about 7 percent for those earning more.
Details of his plan to boost education funding will be released later this week, Weinholtz said. On Monday, he told members of the Deseret News and KSL editorial board he wanted $1 billion more for schools, but he did not commit to a tax increase.
Herbert said that since he took office in 2009, $1.8 billion in new money has been allocated to education, including about $900 million for K-12. He said his goal is to increase that number by $1 billion over the next five years.
But the governor warned that the "Eastern liberal mentality" of tax increases has hurt other states, including California's so-called "millionaire" tax. "You don't want to kill the goose that's laying the golden egg. That's what means a healthy economy."
Herbert said Weinholtz, who has already poured $2.5 million of his own money into the race, should understand that lower taxes encourage business investment, having built a successful health care business in the state.
"We don't want to stymie that ability," he said, citing Utah's reputation as one of the nation's most business-friendly states. "Raising taxes on income is probably not a smart thing to do."
Still, the governor declined to pledge not to increase taxes if he is re-elected to a second four-year term, the same stand he took in his primary race against Overstock.com Chairman Jonathan Johnson.
"I'm not going to make any promises or take a no tax increases pledge because sometimes you in fact have trade-offs," Herbert said, such as the change in the gas tax formula that increased the price at the pump nearly 5 cents a gallon this year.
U. political science professor Tim Chambless said Weinholtz's call for tax increases is "strategically almost a Hail Mary" in a race where polls have the challenger trailing the incumbent by more than 40 points.
"Typically, voters who hear the word 'taxes' start to shy away," said Chambless, who is associated with the Hinckley Institute. Talk of "raising taxes raises the alarm of many people."
Utah voters have expressed support for paying more in income taxes to provide more money for schools in past polls, and there had been discussions about a ballot initiative from Education First to win approval.
Tuesday's candidate forum follows what is likely to be the last debate of the governor's race, held Sept. 26 at Utah State University. Weinholtz and Herbert appeared separately at the forum, answering questions.
After the forum, the governor addressed Weinholtz's campaign mailers that pictured him alongside GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin and referred to changes in the LDS Church's missionary program in Russia.
"To try to tie me to Trump is one thing. To tie me to Putin and the Mormon missionary program — I was a Mormon missionary. It seems to be a desperate attempt to try to deflect over the fact that my opponent's campaign is not gaining traction," Herbert said.
Weinholtz, who said he is backing Democrat Hillary Clinton for president after initially supporting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, criticized the governor's support for the GOP ticket, even though Herbert has said it's not meant as an endorsement.
"To me, if you are endorsing Donald Trump, you are complicit with his bigotry and his misogyny, and his other crazy ideas," Weinholtz said. "So I have a lot more respect for people like Mitt Romney and others who have denounced Donald Trump and put country ahead of party."
