Does Lawrence Wright want to put Light Rail on Main?

The Verdict: No

Lawrence Wright has been consistent on this issue.  Like with Paul Cutler, I investigated to see if he had any history to the contrary.  However, Lawrence Wright has always had the same documented position.  He does not want to put light rail on Main Street.

Here are the documented facts:

This is a link to Centerville City Council Minutes dated January 31, 2012, where Lawrence Wright states that Centerville Transportation Policy should be revised to eliminate the possibility of a light-rail system within the city.  He also states that, “…it should be given a higher value to reflect the desire of the community to delete all references to light rail.”:

http://www.centervilleut.net/agendasminutes.cc01312012_wrks_m.html

Here is a link to Centerville City Council Minutes dated November 3, 2010.  Lawrence Wright states again that he does not want light rail on Main Street.  Please note that Paul Cutler was present, and reverses his position and states he is now against light rail on Main Street:

http://www.centervilleut.net/agendasminutes.cc11032010m.html

Does Lawrence Wright want to raise Centerville property taxes in 2014?

The Verdict: No

The Facts:  This question also involves critical thinking.  Lawrence Wright is against a property tax increase, while recognizing the large debt amount of UTOPIA that the city has been obligated to.  He submits that a top to bottom operational review is necessary before considering any additional tax burden.  This information can be found on his website.

It is important to note that on his website, Wright has expressed respect and support for the work and opinion of the Centerville City manager.

However, he has not made the same blanket overture towards the city manager as Paul Cutler, which is critical to consider.

Here is a link to Lawrence Wright’s stated position not raising property taxes in 2014:

http://lawrencewright.org/issues-4-2/

Here is a link to the Davis County Clipper article quoting the Paul Cutler Centerville City Manager that property taxes need to be raised anywhere between 10 and 35%; the article cites UTOPIA debt as a factor:

http://davisclipper.com/bookmark/22598962/article-Centerville%20considers%20property%20tax%20hike%20to%20improve%20roads

Here is a link to an article in the Centerville Budget Newsletter for Fiscal Year 2014, where it states that the Utopia debt repayment for FY 2014 is $436,251, in addition to Centerville’s share of $163,000.

Click to access budget_newsletter_2014.pdf