Comments about ‘Should Millcreek be incorporated?’

All urban areas of Salt Lake County should either incorporate or annex and get Salt Lake County out of the double taxation urban services business and into the regional government business. Millcreek Kearns and Magna have leaned on the county too long. Itâs time to annex or incorporate.

If the residents of Millcreek want to control their own destiny, they would be wise to incorporate.

As a Millcreek resident I am far more willing to take a chance with incorporation than I am to risk being annexed into that armpit known as South Salt Lake.

What double taxation are you talking about Counter Intelligence?

I know the people living in millcreek have paid almost a million dollars to paint all the new unified police cars and fire trucks. Do they do that again with a new city. Taxes will be going up if they incorporate...just like every other city that did the same thing.

What about new city buildings,executive costs and the administration costs? More money more government intrusion. FYI, the new mayor of millcreek city will get over $200,000 a year,its in the feasibility study. Nice paycheck. Mayor caroon only makes about $129,000. Thats how they spend the money? Keep millcreek the same.

I grew up in Cottonwood Heights, which face this similar situation about 10 years ago. Through the years our area had built up a robust group of retail and commercial areas that provided a lot in the way of tax revenue. For years residents had the debate about incorporating or remaining like Millcreek. Holladay, Midvale and Sandy had all already made petitions to annex many of those areas, so ultimately Cottonwood Heights became its own city. The decision was made under the premise that most services would continue to be performed by the county (police, fire, etc.) Once the city was formed, the area was moved down on the priority list for things like trash collection, police response and other services. So, eventually the city opted to build its own police force, and it has also been hit with other unforeseen costs.

On the one hand, I think it was right for the city to create its own entity. On the other hand, I don't feel they stayed true to the original plan and residents are now feeling the growing pains of having a new city. I agree with Counter Intelligence that residents in the incorporated parts of the county are unfairly double-taxed for services that are provided by both their own municipalities as well as the county. But that treads into a larger issue about county vs. local government.

As for Millcreek, I would caution its citizens to carefully weigh the options before them. What do they stand to gain or lose in each scenario, and do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Great article! In looking at the list of incorporaters they all live within a few block area in East Millcreek, nice people with good intentions, but as the article points out what happens down the road, another fiefdom created, another expense, more regulations, zoning, franchise taxes (yes cities can tax utilities, phones, cellphones, cable, etc.). Where I felt very dismayed is using my signature on a feasibility study (ok lets see what the extra expenses will be, which there will be) then reusing my signature saying I was in support of incorporation. I was very clear when I signed that I didn't support incorporation, just the study and yes after I found that they had on the first page of the petition, which I didn't see or informed of, a statement about reusing the signature. Many others have had the same experience and have called the county recorder to remove their name from this petition too.

Want another layer of government?

Then definitely vote to incorporate.

I was around when WVC was incorporated 32 yrs. ago. The whole idea was voted down once, but then the big money developers funded ANOTHER incorporation attempt that passed (but not by much).

We were told the city would be "funded strictly by franchise fees"; (the tax on utilities).

That promise went out the window within 3 yrs!

Since then taxes have gone up and up and up.......with no end in sight and WORSE government.

WHATEVER form of government you choose - stay involved, go to City or (county) council meetings. The vocal MINORITY will run things in either form of government if allowed.
NO ONE is better than YOU to speak up.

Municipal Services---police, fire, public works, are provided through tax dollars raised in the unincorporated areas only. There is no double taxation. General County property taxes are spent for county wide services, not local municipal services.

The best reason for incorporating is that you will have local control over planning and development, and this is important even if it costs more. When Holladay was unincorporated, developers were getting away with outrageous things. Residents could do nothing to stop them. The county just did not care and would approve just about anything they wanted to do. Once Holladay incorporated, strict zoning was enforced. Someone cared about the details.

If the county wants to be responsive to the residents of Millcreek in the same way a local government cares, then maybe you can avoid incorporating. But if the county cares as little as they did a decade ago, protect yourself, Millcreek, and incorporate.

BTW, Ric James disses SSL . . . Millcreek might seriously considering annexing SSL, but get rid of the SSL name and call the whole thing Millcreek. There could be some huge revenue and social advantages in that plan.

Preserving the integrity of Millcreek is a common goal of most Millcreek residents, both those for and against the individual issue of incorporation. Finding out about the issue and the options, and then coming together to actually take action to reach the common goal, is most important.

Seems like an important note that is missed in the article is that signing the petition is to allow to have a vote by the residents of Millcreek township, not a statement I signed the petition at the venture outdoor festival. Not because I know everything about the issue, but because unless we get to have a vote, the option won't even be available to us.

Having the right to vote is important, and as American as apple pie.