By Taylor Stevens | The Salt Lake Tribune
/Francisco Kjolseth /Tribune file photo
Inland Port Authority Board Chairman Derek Miller says there may be a need for legislation to give Salt Lake City a greater role in a future development project planned for nearly a third of the state capital’s landmass.
City officials have felt trampled ever since Utah lawmakers last year unveiled and passed the bill creating the inland port, a massive distribution hub planned for its northwest side, over their protests of state overreach and the loss of their zoning and taxing authority.
But amid mounting opposition to the project — and a lawsuit filed by Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski alleging its creation unconstitutionally usurped municipal authority — Miller says he would support revisiting legislation with whoever becomes the next mayor to create “a more full and equitable partnership” with the city.
“I’ve always said and will continue to say we will not have as good a product at the end of the day without the mayor’s office being part of the decision-making process,” Miller said during a recent meeting with The Salt Lake Tribune’s editorial board. “I’ve been in politics and around politics for a long time. I’ve never seen an issue more vitriolic than this. And that’s sad. I mean, it’s not just bad for the authority and the work we need to do; it’s sad to see our community torn apart.”
