Residents lose in lawsuit decision with the Inland Port

“Salt Lake City and the state of Utah mutually agreed to dismiss the lawsuit, the Utah Attorney General’s Office and Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s office confirmed to FOX 13 News.”

The city was challenging the ability granted to the Inland Port by the state to use taxpayer dollars for its operations.

According to the Mayor’s office, the city agreed to drop the appeal due to a new working partnership with the Port after renegotiating the percentage of property taxes allocated to the Port. While the negotiation did reduce the amount of taxes to the Port, it also restructured the Port’s board, effectively cutting out local representation in the decision making of Port operations, which makes their use of taxpayer money taxation without representation.

Fox 13 also reported, “The mayor said the agreement also ensured stronger environmental standards surrounding the port’s development.” We have yet to see stronger environmental standards be implemented, and remind you there is no such thing as a green port.

Read the Stop the Polluting Port Coalition’s report on the harm the Port brings to Utah.