But supporters of the bill like Mike Jerman, vice president of the Utah Taxpayer's Association, say RDA abuse has gone too far in recent years as city leaders compete for retail dollars with RDA offers as bait. That tug-of-war for sales tax has led to an ever-expanding definition of blight to warrant the use of RDA funds.

Jerman and Bramble both argue that such competition pits cities against one another without ever boosting the economy. Instead, sales tax dollars are shifted between cities with the citizens losing out as tax dollars subsidize private retail like Wal-Marts and stadiums.

"A soccer stadium is not economic development. It's entertainment dollars being shifted around," Jerman said. "They're just afraid if they don't do an RDA they'll be left out."

School district leaders and several residents groups for RDA reform are also backing Bramble's bill, while opponents include city leaders and developers. With battle lines clearly drawn, Salt Lake County officials voted Tuesday to remain neutral on the issue.

"You've got RDA folks fighting against this bill and a billion people fighting for it," said County Councilman Randy Horiuchi. "If we hop into the fight, we take valuable partners and rub their faces in it."

Along with Bramble's bill, Sen. John Dougall, R-American Fork, is also backing a measure to allow school districts to opt into an RDA instead of automatically having their share of property taxes diverted to the project. A third bill pushed by Sandy city would have expanded the use of RDAs along transit lines, but Sen. Al Mansell, R-Sandy, pulled his sponsorship last week.

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E-mail: estewart@desnews.com; bsnyder@desnews.com