On Thursday, March 28th, Utah Foundation will hold its 68th annual meeting and luncheon. This year’s event will focus on the future of education and transportation in Utah. As a young and rapidly growing state, these two spending areas would naturally seem to be high priorities for state and local funding. However, they are often seen as competitors in the state budget process, and at times, phrases such as “paving over kids” have been used to express displeasure with the outcome. Sometimes the competition for limited state funds generates deep frustration, but doesn’t need to be that way. Can we find more ways to recognize and address these two top priorities in tandem?
Utah is one of America’s fastest-growing and youngest states. These two facts require significant public-sector investment to keep up with growth on the highways and growth in our schools. But is it good enough to just keep up with growth, maintaining our current levels of traffic congestion and school performance? Are there ways we can make our infrastructure smarter and our schools better prepared for 21st century needs?
Utah Foundation has pulled together a tremendous slate of experts to discuss the future of education and transportation in Utah at the annual meeting luncheon:
- Ben McAdams, Salt Lake County Mayor
- Aaron Osmond, Utah State Senator
- Michael Allegra, General Manager, Utah Transit Authority
- Mark Bouchard, Senior Managing Director, CBRE (Founding Chair of Prosperity 2020)
- Natalie Gochnour, Executive Vice President and Chief Economist, Salt Lake Chamber
Utah Foundation’s annual meeting is open to the public. It serves as a fundraiser for the foundation’s independent, nonpartisan research on the top issues facing our state.
