I’d like to thank all those who came to the Town Hall meeting last week. It was great talking with you and listening to your concerns regarding the current issues that are facing the State Legislature. It is my pleasure to represent the people of Taylorsville and Kearns, and I am always open to your questions, opinions, and input.
Your responses to the survey have been tabulated and the results are below. The percentages are based upon the 327 surveys that I have received back.
2015 Constituent Survey Results
Representative Jim Dunnigan
Question 1: Revenue estimates indicate a possible budget surplus this year. If this is the case, how should this money be distributed? Rank in order of priority with 1 being the most important.
Average Rank
-Public Education (K-12) 1
-Reduce Income and Sales Tax 2
-Rainy Day Fund 3
-Medicaid 4
-Transportation 5
-Public Safety 6
-Higher Education 7
Question 2: In Utah funding for public education primarily comes from the income tax. Which of the following do you support?
__Raise the income tax rate from 5% to 6% (20% increase): 13%
__Increase transparency and accountability before more money is
appropriated to education: 43%
appropriated to education: 43%
__Create more policies that lead to more to creation resulting in more
income tax to fund education: 40%
__Other 12%
Question 3: A recent court decision declare the current process for electing State School Board members unconstitutional. The Legislature will consider options to correct the problem. Which of the options do you support?
__Appointment by the Governor 8%
__Partisan school board elections 12%
__Non-partisan school board elections 79%
Question 4: Gov. Herbert is proposing a plan called “Healthy Utah” which would expand Medicaid to cover an adult earning less than $16,100/yr (would not over children). The federal government will pay up to 90% of the cost. Utah’s share of the cost would be about $80 million possibly meaning that other state programs will be cut/or taxes raised. Which do you support?
__Utah should adopt a plan that provides a coverage for many low-income Utahns, but not as many as Healthy Utah 25%
__Adopt Healthy Utah at a cost of about $80 million/yr 34%
__Keep Utah’s Medicaid system as is (don’t expand Medicaid) 36%
Question 5: There may be a bill that will propose a change to Daylight Savings Time. Those who don’t want Daylight Savings Time say it’s bothersome to have to change time twice a year. Those who would like to keep Daylight Savings Time say it provides more daylight hours in the evenings for recreation and family time. Without it, the sun would begin to come up before 5 AM in some of the summer months. Utah should:
__Keep Daylight Savings Time as it is now 37%
__Stay on Standard Time year round 36%
__Stay on Daylight Savings Time year round 25%
Question 6: The Governor has proposed a ban on wood burning during the winter months in an effort to improve air quality (the ban would not apply to homes where the sole source of heat is by wood burning). Should Utah:
__Ban wood burning on red & yellow air alert days 26%
__Ban wood burning during the winter months 25%
__Do not ban wood burning 45%
Question 7: Utah’s gas tax, which helps pay for new roads and repairs, has been unchanged for 17 years (24.5c/gallon). The national average is 30.6c/gallon. Utah should:
__Keep the gas tax as is 48%
__Raise the gas tax 10 cents per gallon 20%
__Change to a percentage of the gas price (like a sales tax) that 32% adjusts up and down based on the price of gas
Question 8: In addition to possibly raising/changing the State gas tax, a proposal would allow counties to levy their own gas tax by increasing the general sales tax and also adding an additional 3-4 cents/gallon local tax. Should counties be authorized to:
__To raise the general sales tax for transportation purposes 22%
__To charge a local gas tax of 3-4c/gallon in addition to the State gas tax 28%
__No raise/undecided 50%
Question 9: There is a proposal to move the State prison. Some of the buildings need to be replaced and some would like the existing land to be turned into a high-tech development for business. Should the prison:
__Be moved and rebuilt in a new location 22%
__Remain where it is and have the buildings remodeled and updated 72%
__Other 6%
Question 10: East of the Mississippi river the federal government owns 4% of the land. In Utah 66% of the land is owned by the federal government, which results in many of the States resources being closed to development and subject to federal management. This reduces the taxes our state could be receiving to fund education, transportation, air quality, and other needs. Do you support effort to transfer federal land (excluding National Parks, wilderness areas & military bases) to state control?
__Support 56%
__Oppose 31%
__Undecided 13%