UTA management is causing concern in Utah County

The Utah Transit Authority has an "image problem" in Utah County, according to one state senator.

Not because it's promoting commuter rail. It's because of a perceived lack of accountability and overly aggressive business practices, says Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo.

"There have been serious questions about the governance of UTA," said Bramble, a former member of the UTA board of trustees. "When you're talking about an agency (that) spends hundreds of millions each year and they don't report back to the people based on elected representation, that is a problem."

While Bramble isn't sponsoring legislation to adjust the structure of UTA's board, others may be considering a legislative change to UTA.

Said Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem: "It's very possible we could see legislation in this next session, but I cannot tell what that legislation will look like."

One legislative concern, widely reported after a May fare increase by UTA, is the $266,000 base salary of UTA general manager John Inglish.

Transit chiefs in larger areas — Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles — receive salaries from $50,000 to $100,000 less than what Inglish makes.

UTA board president Orrin T. Colby Jr. said lawmakers should be "very careful" in making changes, including one that would place UTA under direct control of the Utah Department of Transportation.

UTA is a separate, quasi-government entity that focuses mainly on transit. UDOT manages the state's roads, among other things. UTA is funded through a mix of local and federal dollars; UDOT is funded via state dollars.

"The separation of entities creates a synergy that combining them would not," Colby said. "I would recommend they not make any material changes in that governance."

The board, he continued, is not perfect but operates "very, very well." Members are nominated by local mayors and county commissioners to serve two-year terms. One is a representative from the state Transportation Commission.

Of the 15 locally appointed board members, two are members of a city council, he said.

Inglish said it would be difficult for him to comment on the issue without knowing specifics. "It's up to the people in leadership to decide what they want to have," he said.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com