Utah House Rep. Mike Kohler, R-Midway, said the state budget will be a big topic during this year’s Legislative session.
Kohler represents House District 59, which includes parts of Summit and Wasatch counties.
He said all the money the state received during the COVID-19 pandemic is gone and this year’s budget could be tight. That means appropriations to various state committees will be hard to get.
However, Kohler expects there to be another tax cut.
“We didn't have a really large income tax cut last year, but it was a cut, and we expect to have another one this year with the goal of a little bit each year so that over time we have a result of lower taxes to our citizens,” he said on KPCW’s Local New Hour Wednesday.
Kohler also expects to see a Social Security tax cut and several bills dealing with property taxes, with a focus on making the lives of senior citizens with fixed incomes easier.
“Everybody pays a little bit more all the time, depending on your time of evaluation on your house, and we've had a problem with that over the last couple of years, trying to strengthen that so that our property tax evaluations are better, more equal,” he said.
There will also be more affordable housing legislation.
Kohler said he has long been an advocate for local control. He was involved in Wasatch County government for years and said affordable housing is an issue that had to be addressed annually.
Summit and Wasatch counties, Kohler said, are the poster children for high housing demand and high costs.
“The idea in many legislator's mind is if we build more, they'll come down. I don't believe that, especially in Wasatch and Summit County, you could double them, in my opinion. And we still have a long list of people that want to live here, and the prices are high,” he said. “Statewide I've yet to see that that's made a big difference.”
While Kohler said he opposes bills that lower local control or take away zoning options from counties, he expects some such bills to get enough support to pass.
The 45-day 2025 legislative session begins Jan. 21 and ends March 7.
