Call No. 3 to fix school split $$ woes

A legislative task force Wednesday issued call No. 3 for a special session to fix building money woes that could come with a proposed school district split — possibly by increasing property taxes for some Utah residents.

The Local Issues Task Force wants Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to call a special session in part to look at two building equalization bills. One, already proposed by Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, would take some $70 million out of the growth in income tax money and add it to the some $28 million already in a building aid fund.

Another proposed by Stephenson on Wednesday would aim to equalize the property tax for building aid. That would mean those in school districts with a big tax base, like Park City, would probably pay more in property tax and get less building aid. And those that are growing bedroom communities, like Alpine, would pay less and get more of the new building aid.

Just how the money would be distributed, and the effect of the proposal on homeowners and businesses, is being determined.

There's also some question on whether the proposal would bring a new revenue stream, which is how co-chairman Rep. Aaron Tilton, R-Springville, understood it, or revenue neutral, as House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, expected it.

"All I know is it will ... offset the exorbitant tax hikes in the high-growth areas ... and allow the district split vote to go forward," Stephenson said.

East-side cities in Jordan and Granite school districts want to break away and form two new school districts. Cities in Jordan's east side have decided to put the question to voters this November. So has South Salt Lake in Granite. Holladay and Salt Lake County, however, have yet to pass judgment.

Leaving the west side enough money to build new schools to handle growth is a big issue — so big the county has asked for a special session to handle it before voters go to the polls this fall.

The Education Interim Committee also has sought a special session for that purpose, and to discuss a proposal to let Draper's SunCrest community stay in Alpine School District instead of becoming part of a proposed east-side district.

Huntsman, however, has yet to hear legislative leaders ask for a special session, said spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley.

"We are just holding on. We don't have any plans for a special session right now ... (and) we certainly haven't set anything in motion for a special session in August," Roskelley said. "We are waiting for legislative consensus on this issue."

Mainly, there can't be competing bills in a special session.

Stephenson and Curtis have had different ideas on the building equalization but have been trying to work out a compromise.