Senate approves transportation funding bill; amendment allows transit operations and optional county homeless funding

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate passed First Substitute Senate Bill 260 on a roll-call vote after adopting an amendment broadening permissible uses of a county sales-and-use tax set-aside.

Senator Cullimore offered Amendment 2 to clarify that in counties of the first class the portion of the county tax that may fund transit can also be used for operations, not just capital projects. He also added a limited option for counties of the first class to dedicate up to 0.05 of the tax amount to homelessness and mental-health services, noting Salt Lake County is where the homelessness challenge is most concentrated.

"Transit projects and operations" will both be eligible uses under the amended language, Cullimore said, and county legislative bodies would make the final decisions on allocations. The amendment passed on the floor without recorded dissent and was folded into the bill. The Senate then passed First Substitute SB 260 in a roll call recorded as 23 yea, 3 nay and 3 absent.

Supporters said the amendment recognizes operational costs for transit differ from road maintenance and provides flexibility for counties without transit authorities. Opponents raised concerns (on the record) about using this tax source for non-transportation purposes, but the final language limits the homeless- and mental-health allocation to up to 0.05 in counties of the first class.

The bill as amended will be sent to the House for their consideration.