The 2018 ballot for Tooele County has 34 or 35 items for voters to mark.
Elected positions on this year’s ballot include candidates for U.S. senate, U.S. House of Representatives, state Senate, state House of Representatives, County Commission Seat A, County Commission Seat B, County Attorney, County Auditor, County Clerk, County Sheriff, State School Board, 13 state judges, one local judge, three constitutional amendments, and one non binding opinion question, and three statewide propositions.
There are also two local propositions and maybe a local school board position — depending on your school board district.
A sample ballot can be found after entering the address at the lieutenant governor’s website, vote.utah.gov. To assist voters in understanding the different propositions, proponents and opponents for each ballot issue were invited to submit their arguments for or against the ballot issues to be published on this website.
Here is a brief review of the six ballot issues included on the ballot for all Tooele County voters.
Often referred to as Proposition #1, the first issue on the ballot after the candidates is non binding opinion question #1. It reads, “To provide additional funding for public education and local roads, should the state increase the state motor vehicle and special fuel tax rates by an equivalent of 10 cents per gallon?”
The full text of the legislation for non binding opinion question #1 states that approximately $600 million is taken from the state’s general fund to subsidize the transportation fund each year.
The proposed 10 cent per gallon increase in the motor vehicle fuel tax would generate “substantial revenue” for the transportation fund, reducing the need for a subsidy and leaving more resources in the general fund for public education, according to the text of the legislation.
The lieutenant governor’s website does not have any arguments for or against non binding opinion question #1.
Proposition #2 reads, in part, “Shall a law be enacted to a establish state-controlled process that allows persons with certain illnesses to acquire and use medical cannabis …”
“Proposition 2 adds to current Utah law related to medical cannabis, also known as medical marijuana, in two main ways. First, it authorizes the establishment of private facilities that grow, process, and sell medical cannabis and requires the state to regulate those facilities. Second, the proposition establishes a state-controlled process for people with certain conditions to receive approval to acquire, use, and in certain limited circumstances, grow medical cannabis,” according to the impartial analysis found at vote.utah.gov.
Arguments for and against Proposition #2, including rebuttals, can be found at vote.utah.gov, along with the full text of the law that would be enacted if Proposition #2 passes.
Proposition #3 reads, in part, “Shall a law be enacted to expand the state Medicaid health coverage program to include coverage, based on income, for previously ineligible low-income adults …”
The impartial analysis of Proposition #3 lists three main changes that the proposition would make to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program in Utah.
“First, it expands the state Medicaid program to include coverage, based on income, for previously ineligible low-income adults. Second, it preserves the existing scope of the state’s Medicaid and CHIP programs. Third, it increases the state sales tax rate form 4.70 percent to 4.85 percent and directs the revenue toward paying for the changes to Medicaid and CHIP made by the proposition,” reads the analysis from vote.utah.gov.
Vote.utah.gov includes arguments and rebuttals for and against Proposition #3.
Proposition #4 reads, in part, “Shall a law be enacted to create a seven-member commission to recommend redistricting plans to the Legislature that divide the state into Congressional, legislative, and state school board districts …”
Proposition 4 affects the redistricting of congressional districts, state legislative districts, and state school board districts that occur every four years following the federal census.
Under current law, the state Legislature completes redistricting following a process that it develops.
Proposition 4 would establish a seven member Utah Independent Redistricting Committee that would be responsible to recommend redistricting plans to the Legislature. It also imposes requirements on the Legislative redistricting process and established standards that a redistricting plan must comply.
Those standards include minimizing the division of counties, cities, and towns; districts are to be geographically compact and in one unbroken piece; and traditional neighborhoods and communities are to be preserved in districts.
Districts would also be required to follow natural and geographic features and maximize boundary agreements between types of districts, according to the impartial analysis at vote.utah.gov.
Vote.utah.gov includes arguments and rebuttals for and against Proposition #4. Details on the proposed redistricting process, including the text of the proposed state code can be found at vote.utah.gov.
Proposition #16 reads, “Shall Tooele County, Utah be authorized to impose a quarter-of-one-percent (0.25%, the equivalent of 1 cent for every $4 spent) sales and use tax for the specific purpose of funding a system for public transit?”
The revenue generated by Proposition #16 would be used by the Utah Transit Authority to improve public transit service in Tooele County, including increasing bus service between Tooele County and Salt Lake City, according to representatives of UTA.
No arguments for or against Proposition #16 were submitted.
Proposition #6 reads, “Shall Tooele County adopt the alternate form of government known as the council-manager form of government that has been recommended by the study committee?”
If Proposition #6 passes, Tooele County’s three-member county commission form of government would be replaced with a five-member council and an appointed manager, effective Jan. 1, 2021. Other elected and appointed county officers would remain unchanged.
Council members would be elected for four-year staggered terms by districts.
Arguments for and against Proposition 6, including rebuttals, can be found by following a link on the sample ballot at vote.utah.gov.
Non binding opinion question #1 and Propositions #2, #3, #4, #6, and #16 are the only propositions on the ballot in Tooele County. Propositions are numbered by the lieutenant governor’s office.
Election Day is Nov. 6, but vote by mail ballots have already been mailed to all registered voters, according to Tooele County Clerk Marilyn Gillette. Information on options for returning a marked ballot or voting on Election Day can be found under the “maps” link on the Tooele County Clerk’s website at www.co.tooele.ut.us/clerk.htm.