Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah County Commissioners Tom Sakievich and Bill Lee released statements Friday saying the commission is backing down from its Wednesday vote to give budget oversight to the commission instead of the county's elected clerk/auditor.
The move had drawn significant pushback from Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, Sen. Mike McKell R-Spanish Fork, and Sen. Jake Anderegg R-Lehi. Henderson described it as "insane" and "completely out of alignment with principles of good government," while both of the state senators called the attempt a "power grab" in separate Facebook posts prior to the vote. The change also frustrated Utah County Clerk/Auditor Amelia Powers Gardner.
Sakievich and Lee reversed course on Friday.
"State law requires the commission to have direct and immediate access to the county budget. My goal is to keep county government limited, restrained, and balanced. After further dialogue with the Clerk/Auditor staff to find ways to reduce the $19.4M property tax increase, I intend to pause the action of moving the Budget Department to the Commission Office," Sakievich said in his statement.
Lee and Sakievich are the county's only commissioners at the moment due to the resignation of Tanner Ainge in March. Powers Gardner is bidding to fill the vacancy.
Lee issued his own statement which read in part:
"After careful consideration and deliberation with legislators, I support indefinitely pausing the action taken on Wednesday regarding the budget office, and I have placed an item on next week's Commission meeting agenda that will do just that. This means the budget office would remain under the supervision of the Utah County Auditor. After the discussions I have had over the past couple of days, I now feel confident that the Utah County Commission will receive the full and impartial budget information we need as we seek to responsibly reduce the massive property tax increase of 2019. I look forward to working with the budget office in achieving that goal."
