Concerns around Utah Inland Port funding explained
A recent KSL article tackles an issue that many people have had difficulty picking apart. That issue is how the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) is funded. UIPA, created by the Legislature in 2018, has expanded rapidly across the state, now covering over 95,000 acres. Behind this growth lies a troubling misuse of taxpayer dollars, benefiting wealthy developers while local residents and communities are left behind.
Tax increment financing—the primary tool used by the port—redirects money away from essential services like schools and cities, funneling it into speculative development projects. This approach borrows against future property tax revenue, but it’s a gamble. And while developers get rich, Utah residents take on the risk. The bonds issued for these projects come with higher interest rates, and if things go wrong, it’s the bondholders who lose, not the developers. Yet taxpayer dollars should be going to projects that directly improve the quality of life for Utahns, not lining the pockets of developers like GSL Industrial and Zenith Bolinder.
Much of the land that is now under UIPA’s jurisdiction is on wetlands. These areas likely wouldn’t be developed without financial assistance because they are expensive to develop. And they shouldn’t be developed, for ecological reasons.
These deals are happening fast and without proper oversight or public input considered. In Tooele, for instance, the county struck an agreement with developers to maintain infrastructure before the port authority was even aware.
This is a blatant example of corruption and greed. The Inland Port Authority is not acting in the best interest of Utah’s residents. Instead of addressing critical issues like clean air, education, and infrastructure that benefits the public, taxpayer money is being thrown at developers who stand to profit at our expense.
We must demand that taxpayer money be used to improve life for Utahns, not to fuel reckless developments. It’s time to stop the inland port before it further depletes our resources, harms our environment, and serves only the interests of a few.