Utah Legislature Limits Traffic Fine Revenue for Local Governments
SALT LAKE CITY — In a bid to curb the misuse of traffic fines as a revenue source, the Utah Legislature has enacted a law stating that local governments cannot derive more than 25% of their total general fund revenue from traffic citations. This new regulation, outlined in Utah Code 78A-7-120, mandates the Utah State Auditor to monitor the revenue generated from traffic fines by cities across the state.
Seth Oveson, Local Government Manager for the Utah State Auditor’s Office, explained that the initiative emerged from concerns about towns potentially exploiting traffic fines to bolster their budgets. Any excess revenue from traffic tickets beyond the 25% threshold will be redirected to the Utah Department of Transportation.
For the fiscal years 2023 and 2024, the Auditor’s Office reported full compliance among Utah cities. Small towns are notably more dependent on traffic fines as a revenue source, largely because their overall budgets are modest.
Leading the list of cities with significant traffic fine revenue percentages is Sunset City, where 14.9% of its general fund comes from traffic citations, followed closely by Mantua City at 13.0%, and Wellsville City at 12.1%. Interestingly, the data does not account for the number of citations issued, leaving some ambiguity about how aggressive enforcement might be.
Oveson emphasized that while higher percentages suggest a greater reliance on traffic fines, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that these towns are targeting motorists unfairly. As the state enforces these regulations, residents may want to be particularly cautious when driving through these areas.
This legislation marks a significant step in promoting responsible fiscal management among local governments in Utah.
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