Salt Lake to retool strategy

Depending on your perspective, the agenda went either 1-for-10 or 0-for-10, with one agenda item passing but not before it was amended and left with almost meaningless language.

And other city priorities not included in Anderson's agenda list didn't fair fare well, either.

For starters, legislators revoked the city's ability to use Redevelopment Agency funds to purchase land for a new Real Salt Lake soccer stadium. Next, state lawmakers saddled Salt Lake City with a bigger Salt Palace Convention Center expansion bill than city leaders wanted. Legislators declined a hike in tire recycling fees that would have facilitated the move of a tire recycling plant on Redwood Road and also balked at a resolution that would' have urged congressional funding to help get Union Pacific trains off the 900 South rail line.

Much was made this session of lawmakers' disdain for Anderson. Many conservative lawmakers went out of their way to poke fun at Salt Lake City's liberal mayor, who has labeled some legislators "extremist Republicans."

Anderson had pitched his 10 priorities to the Salt Lake County Council of Governments and the City Council. Among those bodies he found support for a few of his agenda items, but among state lawmakers he received less.

Councilwoman Nancy Saxton, a self-described liberal who supports many of Anderson's social causes, says the mayor's aggressive style ends up undermining many of the issues he supports.

"He teaches with a two-by-four between the eyes and it doesn't work," she said. Instead of being so outspoken, the mayor should use a softer style that helps educate others about his issues, she said.

"It would be terrible for him to go out after two terms and only be a legend in his own mind and not have really accomplished anything," Saxton said.

Of all the hits they took at the Legislature, city leaders say the two that hurt worst were a bill that will force them to pay upward of $10 million for Salt Palace expansion funding and one that forbids them from using Redevelopment Agency dollars for a Major League Soccer stadium near downtown.

City leaders said they couldn't have imagined paying $10 million for the Salt Palace when the session began. At one point, city leaders were going to be on the hook for $19 million, but they think they can work with Salt Lake County leaders to reduce that figure.

The soccer stadium hurt as well because Anderson and others considered it a key component to revitalizing the city's southern downtown area. Anderson said Salt Lake City is a traditional target for state lawmakers and this year was no different.

"There were some upsides and downsides which is not at all unusual," he said. "Salt Lake City actually has always seemed to be in the sights of the Utah Legislature in one way or another."

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com