Immigration is a hot topic issue in this country. It has been for decades, although it seems to be even more so than ever under the current administration. Rather than offer an opinion on what our state or national policy should be, I thought it would be helpful to look at some date the Census […]
Counties by the Numbers: Changes to County Revenues and Expenditures 2001-2015
Introducing “The Hub” UACnet.org has a new section for you to explore. It’s titled Data Hub and it includes a complete index of Counties by the Numbers articles as well as all sorts of data on issues such as County Budgets, Demographics, Property Taxes, and Public Safety (to name a few). The Data Hub also […]
Counties by the Numbers: County Population Growth and Its Impact on County Classification
Earlier this year, Morgan County was informed by the Lt. Governor’s office that its growth in population will result in a change in county classification. No longer a fifth class county, Morgan County is now a fourth class county. Utah’s 29 counties are classified between first and sixth class counties based on the Census Bureau’s […]
Counties By the Numbers: Jail Contracting in the Age of JRI
In a previous Counties by the Numbers article, I looked at the impact the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) had on drug-related felonies and misdemeanors in the state. To review, drug-related convicted felonies fell from an average of 1,900 a quarter prior to JRI to nearly 700 a quarter after JRI. While drug-related convicted misdemeanors jumped […]
Counties by the Numbers: Early Results of New Centrally Assessed Appeals Process
2015’s SB 165 changed the role of county government in the appeals process of centrally assessed property. The bill limited counties’ ability to appeal a value unless a county is convinced the property is valued at 50 percent or less its actual value, but allows counties 30 days after a property owner has appealed a […]
Counties by the Numbers: Tax Increment Financing
Tax Increment Financing During the 2016 Legislative Session, SB 151 was introduced and passed providing a rewrite to Utah’s Community Development Act. SB 151 is the latest in a number of pieces of legislation that have altered Utah’s system of tax increment financing. Tax increment financing involves taking a cut of taxes generated from the […]
Counties by the Numbers: Commute Times in the Counties
Here’s a question we’ve probably all asked ourselves while driving to and from work: Wouldn’t it be great to move somewhere where the commute was shorter? Wouldn’t you know it; the Census Bureau actually tracks that! Last fall, I looked at the number of workers in a county commuting from county to county. Today, I’ll […]
Counties by the Numbers: Preliminary JRI Impact
Preliminary Impact of Felony and Misdemeanor Drug Filings Due to JRI 2015’s HB 348 is one of the most ambitious pieces of legislation the Utah Legislature has passed in recent memory. The bill makes sweeping changes to the criminal justice system through the creation of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI). JRI moves a host of […]
Counties By the Numbers: Utah’s Counties at the 2016 Legislative Session
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s the case then today’s Counties by the Numbers might be the most long-winded one we’ve ever published. It’s a infograph attempting to capture some of the county highlights of the 2016 legislative session. As always, if you have a subject you’d like UAC to […]
Counties by the Numbers: Where Do We Stand on Indigent Defense?
Introduction One of the more important pieces of legislation that passed during the 2016 Legislative Session was SB 155. The bill, sponsored by Senator Todd Weiler, creates a statewide commission charged with adopting guiding principles for the oversight and assessment of public criminal defense services. The bill appropriated $2 million towards the creation and staffing […]