Savannah Perkins

By Savannah Perkins

 

Cache County legislators provided engaged and, at times, heated conversations surrounding road safety in the constituents meeting at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

 

Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, Rep. Jack Draxler, R-North Logan, and Rep. Ed Redd, R-Logan, gathered together with a group of more than 50 community members to give an update on the progress made during the fifth week of the 2015 legislative session. The legislators also addressed many questions and concerns about upcoming legislation. Constituent meetings are held every Saturday during the legislative session.

 

“Sometimes we don’t really know why the legislators are voting for or against something,” said Jennifer Henson, a Logan resident who has attended every Saturday morning meeting. “This gives us the chance to pick their brains and not just get them to see our point of view but for us to see theirs.”

 

Draxler announced that he received notice from the director of Utah Department of Transportation that the Hyde Park Lane and Highway 91 intersection will be getting an early warning signal. This signal flashes yellow a few yards ahead of the intersection, warning drivers when there is a red light ahead. Draxler said there have been some really serious accidents in that area and this signal will improve safety. Construction will begin in spring.  

 

The discussion of road safety continued as Draxler expressed his views of Hillyard’s efforts to put a cap on the amount of money Mantua police are able to retain from collecting tickets and fines.  

 

“Lyle knows that I love and appreciate him, I think he is a treasure to this state, but I feel that I have to oppose Senate Bill 100,” Draxler said. “As a former mayor I do not think that it is appropriate for the state to intercede and to tell a city what source their budget has to come from and how many tickets they can write.”

 

SB 100 was created to limit what a local government can take in traffic fines, meaning that money collected through fines can only make up 25 percent of the general budget.  

 

Hillyard explained that Layton has 475 miles of road and they get less revenue from fines than Mantua, which is significantly smaller. Hillyard said that if the road through Mantua is really as dangerous as Mantua officials say, there should be a discussion about reducing speed limits rather than increasing fines and tickets.

 

“There ought to be some police patrol, no question,” Hillyard said, “but the way the bill is set, I cannot believe that a city with 700 people needs more than a $150,000 from police tickets to run a city.”

 

“The legislators are really good about sticking around after and having additional conversations about things and for the most part they listen to us,” Henson said. “I would suggest that everyone get more involved in their local and state politics as much as possible because everyone likes to complain about politics and most people don’t like to do anything about it.”

 

March 5 is the last constituent meeting held during the 2016 legislative session. It will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the Cache County Administrative Building Multipurpose Room at 179 N. Main St.