FOSTERING ETHICS & AVOIDING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST –
I have not, and will not, accept any money, campaign donations, gifts or even so much as a lunch from anyone who has business before the city council. Any such potential conflicts of interest can be avoided by following a strict ethical code, even though the law does not mandate it. I have no membership in any interest groups who lobby municipalities. I have taken no money for my campaign from any special-interest organizations, land developers or any other companies that might profit from high-density or other development. This is not the case for all candidates in this race.
See http://www.bluffdale.com for each candidate’s Campaign Finance Report.
It is important that we have city council members who are free of conflicts of interest.
NEW CITY HALL – I support building a new city hall and the current city council’s plan to pay for it without increasing taxes.
Currently, the city has saved $300,000/year for the last 5 years to prove to demonstrate that we can afford to make a similar-size mortgage payment on the building without raising taxes. The cost of the building will be about $6 million.
The city will use the saved funds to furnish the building instead of bonding for those costs. We have already secured the bonding (loan) for its construction, but don’t plan to actually start borrowing any money until just before construction begins (hopefully within the next few months), or if it appears that there will be an imminent, significant increase in borrowing costs (interest rates).
The current city council has been very fiscally responsible with regards to this and many other city needs. As a former CPA, I applaud their fiscal discipline and pledge to continue it.
NEW PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING – I support the new public works building that the city is planning.
The current public works building is what used to be the old city hall on Redwood Road, just a little north of 14400 South. It would require $500,000 to retrofit it to make it seismically safe. The current city council believes it is unwise to put that much money into a project that won’t increase our space or the useful life of the building.
I agree. So it’s time to find a new place for a new public works building. The building will need to be funded through a combination of Reserves (Capital Projects Fund and Water Fund) and bonding. The reserves have been accumulated mostly from one-time monies from development.
IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY’S ARENA – I support the city council’s plans to improve amenities in the arena and expand the number of seats.
The city currently has $500,000 saved for this project. Whether or not we can ultimately expand from our current 2000-seat capacity to the desired 5000-seat facility, or to a less ambitious expansion of 3000 seats, will largely depend on whether or not we can configure proper parking facilities to handle the traffic.
NEW FIRE STATION IN INDEPENDENCE – I support the current city council’s plan to build a new fire station in the Independence development up near the freeway. Safety is one of the city’s top priorities. This, too, will be appropriately funded by Safety impact fees on new construction.
NEW PARKS IN INDEPENDENCE AND PARRY FARMS –
I support the current city council’s plan to develop a park in the Independence development using Parks impact fees, not a tax increase. There are a lot of young families that will benefit from these parks in their neighborhood.
I also support the current park being developed in Parry Farms.
KEEPING CITY TAXES LOW – Would it surprise you to learn that Bluffdale City has the lowest OVERALL property tax rate of all of the cities in south Salt Lake County?
As of 2014, the overall property tax mill levies (from lowest to highest) for property owners in these cities were as follows:
Bluffdale .013082
South Jordan .013873 ( 6.0% higher than Bluffdale’s)
West Jordan .013955 ( 6.7% higher than Bluffdale’s)
Draper .014620 (11.8% higher than Bluffdale’s)
Sandy .014753 (12.8% higher than Bluffdale’s)
Riverton .015905 (21.6% higher than Bluffdale’s)
Herriman .016289 (24.5% higher than Bluffdale’s)
Source: http://propertytax.utah.gov/index.php/tax-rates/certified-tax-rates/tax-rates-by-tax-area
I am firmly committed to keeping property taxes, and all city taxes, as low as possible, while being careful to maintain our existing infrastructure. Based on my experience in working through the budget process, I believe that no tax increase should ever be adopted before every effort has been made to cut costs line by line, and no tax increase for non-essential government services should be implemented without a vote of the people.
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT – Development will continue to be one of the primary issues in Bluffdale for many years to come. The only unknown is what type of development we will have, and how it will shape the look and feel of our city. Bluffdale has a uniquely relaxed, laid-back, often quiet ambiance (but not if you live near a major highway!), and zoning is at the heart of our community’s look and feel. Many of us moved here because we wanted to live in that kind of a setting. There’s nothing like going door to door to appreciate the spacious, rural-like environment which is predominant throughout most of Bluffdale – an amenity other cities do not generally have. We should preserve it as much as possible for others who also want to enjoy it. Large lots and large animal rights can and should be an important part of Bluffdale’s future, not just of our heritage or past.
With regards to commercial development, the city needs to encourage businesses to come here and locate along our major transportation corridors and intersections (2700 W. and Bangerter, 1700 W. and Bangerter, along Redwood Road where it doesn’t conflict with existing homes, up near the I-15 interchange, and along the future Porter Rockwell Boulevard), without sacrificing our largely unique ambiance.
With this goal in mind, we also need a thorough review of all of our commercial zoning ordinances, to potentially remove some allowed uses that we really wouldn’t want filling up our commercial corridor in key, high-traffic areas. As I go door to door, residents tell me they’d love to have some grocery stores, restaurants, basic needs shopping, and gas station/convenience stores within the city. You’ll be glad to know that some of these are already in the works.
POLICE – Feeling safe in our homes and with our personal property is fundamental to the security, peacefulness and enjoyment of our residents. I support trained community-based policing efforts like the VIPS program (Volunteers in Police Service). We also need to increase our policing coverage to two officers on duty at all times within the city as soon as possible. This is one of the most important services a city provides.
ARTS COUNCIL – Our highly successful Arts Council has been a unifying source of pride for our community. We should enable it to pursue various appropriate funding options.
RECREATIONAL AMENITIES – We need to create some additional trail systems/options for our walkers, bikers and equestrians. There has been much progress in recent years, and we need to enthusiastically continue and improve upon that before development takes away some of the options we might still have remaining.
Nancy Lord for Bluffdale City Council 