Skyrocketing utility bills are hitting Utah residents and businesses hard. But for many local governments, higher natural gas and electrical charges mean windfall revenues. When the bill goes up, so does the tax. The jump would have been even higher, but early collections of the city's new cell-phone tax indicate revenue from it will be only half of what was initially projected, says budget analyst Michael Sears. City officials insist the revenue increases aren't all windfall.
Municipalities have to pay higher heating and power bills, too.
Part of that is a change in accounting, but natural gas hikes are a big factor. The honeymoon, it seems, is just beginning. All material found on Utah OnLine is copyrighted The Salt Lake Tribune and associated news services. No material may be reproduced or reused without explicit permission from The Salt Lake Tribune.