Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s first budget proposal, presented from his new rural office at Southern Utah University on Monday, provides a window into the administration’s first-year priorities: battling the coronavirus pandemic, investing in rural Utah and improving the state’s education system.
But the overarching theme of the $21.7 billion budget, Cox said, is “opportunity for all.”
“Even with the success that we’re experiencing overall as a state, it’s clear that some are not experiencing the same successes or even have the same opportunity,” he said during a virtual news conference outlining the particulars of the proposal. “Our constitution, our way of government doesn’t guarantee success, but it does guarantee equal opportunity. And we want to focus on that in our budget and in our administration.”
As part of the budget recommendation, which is subject to changes and ultimate approval from the state Legislature, Cox has proposed that $250 million be set aside for the state’s coronavirus response to complement federal funding.
Specific allocations could be adjusted as the state works to understand how the federal government’s pandemic relief bill fits in. But the governor has proposed that the state put $100 million toward supporting heavily impacted households and businesses and $50 million toward helping schools weather the pandemic and keeping kids in the classroom.
Cox has proposed that the remaining $100 million be spent to fund the public health response — including on improving access to testing and ramping up contact tracing. That money, Cox said, will also be “critical” as the state ramps up its vaccine distribution plan.
“We are increasing the speed of our vaccine rollout and we’ve let our local health departments know they will have any resources they need at their fingertips to get people vaccinated within the week the vaccines are received,” he said.
Several education line items also relate to the pandemic, including a $1,500 bonus for school-level educators and $1,000 for other staff members “who have worked hard to keep schools going during difficult times,” Cox said.
The coronavirus pandemic isn’t the only emergency the Cox administration is considering in its budget. The budget proposal recommends setting aside $15 million for earthquake insurance after a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit the Wasatch Front in March and $60 million for wildfire suppression after the state saw a record-setting number of human-caused fires last year.
The proposal also promises an $80 million net tax cut that would be returned to Utahns — something that was made possible after the state “tightened its belt” last year against the impacts of the coronavirus. Cox recommends this be done by giving a Social Security income tax credit to low- and middle-income seniors and upping the income tax credit for dependent children.
With the “sizable amount” of one-time dollars available this year, Cox is recommending several “generational investments,” including $350 million to double-track the FrontRunner commuter train system to improve air quality in the state. He also proposed $50 million be spent to improve transportation bottlenecks in the Wasatch canyons and $125 million for open spaces, trails and parks.
The new governor has promised to stimulate economic development in rural Utah and, as part of his budget, has included a proposal for $125 million to be spent on “rural infrastructure” — including $50 million for broadband, which has become a necessity for many people as school and work have moved online during the coronavirus.
Cox also supports a 5.82% increase in the weighted pupil unit, the basic funding formula for public schools and $112 million for the $1,500 teacher bonuses already endorsed by the Legislature.
- The Salt Lake Tribune will update this report
