Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

This letter to the editor responds to one frequently-asked question about Millcreek's becoming a city: “Is Millcreek feasible as a city?”

About the "feasibility" of Millcreek as a city: the City of Millcreek is very feasible. The incorporation feasibility study done last spring states that the revenues for the city will equal its expenditures for the first year (100%). This means it will not have to raise taxes or reduce municipal services. The five-year projection from the study's consultants conservatively moved revenues from 100% to 98% of expenditures by the fifth year.

However, that projection changed with the release of new municipal services data by the Salt Lake County Auditor's Office in July. The new data states instead that the City of Millcreek will have 102% revenue to expenditures by year 5.

This is great news for two reasons. First, we are presently in an economic downturn. Secondly, Salt Lake County is experiencing a $17 million shortfall and will need to either raise taxes, reduce municipal services or both this coming year. So we will be much better off financially being our own city than we possibly can be by remaining part of unincorporated Salt Lake County.

We were wise to sign the petition to have the study done at this particular time, when values are depressed. If the City of Millcreek would have shown more than105% revenues to expenditures (more than a 5% profit), we would have had to leave some areas of the township behind when we became a city. As things stand, we will be better than solvent and still be able to take the entire township with us as we move forward to govern ourselves.

The costs for a Millcreek City government were counted in the feasibility study, so we will not have to pay any more to have our own local city mayor and city council, city treasurer, office space, etc.  In the end, as our own city, we will be money ahead and also have our own local government accountable to us rather than to the whole county.

Go to www.futureofmillcreek.org to sign and mail in a copy of the petition. Then volunteer to help. We need many more property owners' signatures to give us all this choice to vote. The City of Millcreek is extremely feasible and viable! Help make it happen!

Anna Clare Shepherd (801-277-4579)

Future of Millcreek Association, Chair