The Utah Inland Port Authority delayed a critical vote on whether to create a new infrastructure district and spend more than $150 million in bonds or not. The delay gives the environmentalists who are protesting the project a temporary win. In a statement, UIPA Executive Director Jack Hedge says the delay was an attempt to bring the discussion “back to merit arguments, and not further fuel the political fires.”
The vote appeared to be delayed after Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Salt Lake City Council Chair Amy Fowler sent a letter to the port authority, questioning where the $150 million was coming from, how it would be used and who controls and pays for the infrastructure of the port. The letter says the quickness of the process “ignores the potential significant consequences to Salt Lake City’s taxpayers and infrastructure system.”
The inland port project, a massive import-export center being built on Salt Lake City’s west side, has faced protests since its introduction in 2018. Critics of the project say it will further harm Utah’s air quality and supporters argue it would be an economic boon to Utah.