Utah Inland Port Authority Act arguments from Salt Lake City were rejected by the Utah Supreme Court on Wednesday, but the legal battle is expected to go on.
According to a statement from the Utah Attorney General’s Office, “the court determined that the act may require affected cities to comply with zoning and land-use rules for the Inland Port.”
This decision upholds two crucial provisions of the act, which establish a framework for building the proposed inland port in Magna, West Valley City, and Northwest Salt Lake City.
The Salt Lake City Council and Mayor Erin Mendenhall quickly denounced the choice as “extremely disappointing.”
The officials stated on the city website that “the Legislature should not be allowed to unilaterally change municipal land uses it disagrees with or redirect tax money that belongs to communities.”
“The ruling by the Utah Supreme Court is incredibly upsetting. The lawsuit filed by Salt Lake City was intended to highlight the distinct jurisdiction that Utahn communities have to directly address the needs of their residents.
Utah House Majority Leader Mike Schultz noted in the state’s press release that “today’s verdict reinforces the legitimate statewide purpose of the inland port and permits us to continue the work toward bringing the benefits of the port to the people of Utah.”
“Under the new framework agreed during the 2022 General Session, we look forward to working with our numerous stakeholders, especially Salt Lake City, to create an inland port that is an example of economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.”
“The Legislature should not be allowed to unilaterally change municipal property uses it disagrees with or redirect tax money that belongs to communities,” the officials said on the city website.
“The Utah Supreme Court’s decision is tremendously distressing. The goal of Salt Lake City’s lawsuit was to draw attention to the specific authority Utahn towns have to respond to the needs of their citizens.
“Today’s ruling reinforces the legitimate statewide purpose of the inland port and empowers us to continue the work toward bringing the benefits of the port to the people of Utah,” said Mike Schultz, majority leader of the Utah House, in a statement released by the state.
Mendenhall and the city council, however, criticised the decision as a threat to the local authority. The Utah Supreme Court “has possibly produced major ramifications for the local power of all 249 Utah cities and towns by permitting the state to take over municipal land use control.”
As a member of the Inland Port board of directors, Sen. Jerry Stevenson said, “I appreciate the comprehensive assessment of this case by the Utah Supreme Court.
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Since Salt Lake City has direct rail links to all of the main west coast destinations, our state has a fantastic chance to improve the crossroads to the west. This international port will have a good effect on our wonderful state and the entire western United States.
