Most Utahns agree with GOP Gov. Gary Herbert – the Legislature should give a big tax cut this year.
But, a new UtahPolicy.com poll shows, that is ONLY the third most favorite choice in dealing with the state’s $1.3 billion revenue surplus.
Dan Jones & Associates finds:
- 51 percent of Utahns want a tax cut with the billion-dollar, over-collection of taxes.
- But 71 percent of Utahns want part or all of the money to be “invested in education.”
- And 65 percent want lawmakers and Herbert to pay down the state’s debt – which translates to paying off general obligation bonds.
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The state will have a $1.3 billion tax surplus, resulting from a 13 percent increase in state revenue. This provides Governor Gary Herbert and the Legislature a number of options for using the surplus money. It could be used for tax cuts, education investments, transportation projects, rainy day savings, or other state priorities.
Please rate the following options for using some or all the surplus: |
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Invest in education |
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Strongly support |
51% |
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Somewhat support |
20% |
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Neutral |
15% |
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Somewhat oppose |
5% |
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Strongly oppose |
8% |
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Don’t know |
1% |
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Pay for transportation projects |
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Strongly support |
17% |
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Somewhat support |
32% |
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Neutral |
26% |
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Somewhat oppose |
11% |
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Strongly oppose |
12% |
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Don’t know |
2% |
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Increase budgets of all state and education agencies proportionately |
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Strongly support |
23% |
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Somewhat support |
23% |
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Neutral |
22% |
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Somewhat oppose |
14% |
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Strongly oppose |
17% |
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Don’t know |
2% |
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Use part of the surplus to pay cash for the new state prison, avoiding having to borrow for that facility |
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Strongly support |
15% |
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Somewhat support |
28% |
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Neutral |
28% |
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Somewhat oppose |
12% |
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Strongly oppose |
14% |
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Don’t know |
2% |
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Pay down state debt |
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Strongly support |
34% |
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Somewhat support |
31% |
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Neutral |
21% |
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Somewhat oppose |
6% |
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Strongly oppose |
6% |
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Don’t know |
2% |
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Put money in state rainy day funds |
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Strongly support |
19% |
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Somewhat support |
32% |
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Neutral |
26% |
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Somewhat oppose |
11% |
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Strongly oppose |
10% |
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Don’t know |
2% |
“The question shows that education continues to be a top priority to Utahns,” said UtahPolicy.com pollster Judd Nielsen. “Even with the increased funding to education in recent years, the fact that over 70 percent of voters support investing surplus state revenue to education should be a message to lawmakers. The fact that more voters support extra revenue going to schools than support using the surplus to provide tax cuts indicates how important the issue is to Utah voters.”
Currently, the state owes $2.2 billion in GO bonds, but lawmakers have been paying off that debt over the last few years.
The new poll also finds support for using the $1.3 billion extra in these ways:
- 51 percent want to put some or all of the money in the current state Rainy Day Fund (by law, a certain percentage goes into the funds BEFORE it is even declared surplus, and the funds are at all-time highs.)
- 49 percent want the extra cash to go into roads. (Lawmakers are planning to do some of that this session.)
- 46 percent want the surplus tax revenue to go into all state budgets equally, with an emphasis on education funding.
- And 43 percent said the money should go into the current $1-billion-plus state prison, being built out by the Salt Lake City International Airport. (In a December special session, lawmakers agreed to pay cash for the prison and issue no further bonds for it.)
Herbert’s 2019-2020 budget recommendation calls for the lion’s share of new money going into public and higher education. You can see those spending recommendations here.
But pro-education groups are calling for even more effort.
You may recall that the Our Schools Now citizen initiative called for increases in the state personal income and sales tax of $700 million in new funding.
OSN dropped their petition in early 2018 after lawmakers agreed to put on the ballot a (convoluted) gasoline tax hike for schools – which failed in the November vote.
So there is no voter mandate to spend a lot more money on schools – even though Herbert and lawmakers last year promised more money for education.
The new DJA poll shows, however, that while voters may have turned down the gas tax hike for schools, nearly three-fourths of voters still want the governor and Legislature to put most, or all, of the $1.3 billion in surplus funds into schools.
We will see how much the GOP-controlled Legislature and Herbert agree to do as the new budget is put together over the next 45 days.
DJA polled 822 adults from Jan. 3-15. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.
