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

Stephenson has looked at the statewide equalization. He says limiting it to a single county might kill the momentum on Capitol Hill to equalize building money, which he says should have been done long ago.

He wants to examine the concept in two ways: taking the money from the income tax, or equalizing the property tax, which he said would take more "political courage."

The task force wants to take public input on the two bill concepts in a meeting with the Education Interim Committee on Aug. 14. One bill could be forwarded to a special session agenda depending on the input.

Task force co-chairwoman Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights, says the meeting timing could allow for an Aug. 15 special session.

Curtis has suggested a bill addressing Salt Lake County alone but is not opposed to a statewide option. But he would have some taxpayers pay more, others in growing bedroom communities less, and have it all come out revenue-neutral. The money for a building fund would be taken out of the income tax revenues. Doing it that way would give growing, tax-poor districts more room to raise taxes in the future to fund building growth.

Stephenson said he was unsure if his proposal the task force wants to pursue is revenue-neutral.

Tilton, however, sees it as a new stream of money, somewhere in the $70 million range. "We have to generate revenue," he said.

Aside from that is a looming question: what the county will do. The county council wants legislators to work out questions of who gets to vote on the issue. Right now, the law says only those in the proposed new district can vote; some west-side mayors and a Jordan District attorney think that's unconstitutional.

Curtis says the voting issue was debated on Capitol Hill, and the law is what it is.

"The question I have for the task force is, do they read the same papers I'm reading online? Is Salt Lake County going to put it on the ballot?" he said. "I'm not going to ... drag my colleagues in there (for a special session) and have the council decide, well, maybe."

---

E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com