A state income tax hike for education could soon be on the ballot in Utah. The political action committee,Education First Utah, is expected to release a proposal calling for a 7/8 of one percent increase of state income taxes. Gov. Gary Herbert argued that his track record on education spending shows that an income tax increase is unnecessary.
Herbert defended budgets that he has put forward in recent years, and highlighted funding sources other than reliance on greater income taxes.
“The fact that we’ve put $1.8 billion of new money into education over these last five years is a tribute to the expanding, growing economy that’s allowed us to have more revenue,” Herbert said. “We actually have had some tax increases, too. Two years ago, we had an equalization of property tax. Certainly as we see the outcome of a healthy economy continuing to be robust that has been a successful process. I expect we’ll see some of that continue in the future.”
Both groups are working together to create a ballot proposition, possibly for 2018, that would be introduced if the state legislature takes no action. Herbert said that he wants to see the official proposal before giving his support to the plan.
“A lot depends on what the proposals are that would come forward,” he said. “We don’t want to do the Illinois model where they raised income taxes and immediately lost 100,000 jobs and took in less revenue at a higher tax rate and made it more difficult for business.”
School districts in Illinois have seen a widening funding gap rich and poor districts since the 2008 financial crisis.
