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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Taxpayers Association on Wednesday released the first edition of what they say will be an annual report, titled "The Pork Barrel."
The 12-page report consists of an analysis of the Beehive State's budget to provide "transparency and accountability," according to the association's website.
It "summarizes data collected from the state budget to provide taxpayers with a comprehensive look at recent trends in state government spending," said Rusty Cannon, president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, in a statement.
This year's inaugural report examines the last six years of overall general fund and education fund ongoing spending, and a comprehensive list of all "one-time" spending for the last two fiscal years.
"The first edition of 'The Pork Barrel' seeks to shine a new light on state government spending in Utah," the report states. "Our hope is that this sunshine will allow taxpayers to consider and debate the various drivers of spending in Utah."
Additionally, the report says that just as "out of control" spending can lead to higher taxes, "constrained spending growth" and "discipline" can ease the burden on taxpayers.
The first items discussed in the report are one-time spending and ongoing spending.
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"Each year, elected officials at the state level make a decision on how much revenue is one-time and how much is ongoing. This decision is critical for taxpayers since tax reduction should always be paired with ongoing revenue and not one-time revenue," the report states.
While looking into the ongoing general and education fund spending — two of the budget areas this year's report examined — the report shows there was a nearly $5 billion increase in spending between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2023.
Between these years, ongoing spending increased by more than 74%.
In addition to ongoing spending, the report states that one-time spending totaled $6.5 billion over the 2021 and 2022 legislative general sessions, increasing by 38.35% between the 2021 and 2022 general sessions.
"Ever since the first edition of our newsletter was published 100 years ago, in January 1923, the Utah Taxpayers Association — knowing that taxes are a direct function of government spending — has been examining the expenditure of taxpayer money. This new, annual report will help educate and inform taxpayers as to how that is unfolding, allowing them to consider and debate the various drivers of spending in Utah," Cannon said in a statement.
The full edition of The Pork Barrel report, containing more information and further analysis, can be found online, at utahtaxpayers.org/the-2022-pork-barrel/.
