A city, county, school board or other taxing authority would be required to schedule a standalone hearing to consider tax increases, and allow time for effectively any member of the public who wishes to speak, under a bill that earned preliminary, unanimous approval from the Utah Senate on Friday.
Senators voted 27-0 for SB179, which requires so-called “Truth in Taxation” hearings to be scheduled as the lone agenda item during such a meeting, or combined with discussion of a proposed budget. And those hearings must be held “without unreasonable restriction on the number of individuals allowed to make public comment.