SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Rep. Casey Snider (R-Paradise) has received the “Friend of Transparency Award” from the NoGovInternet and the Utah Taxpayers Association (UTA).
Presented on July 30, the award recognizes House Majority Leader Snider’s leadership and support for Senate Bill 165 (Municipal Broadband Service Amendments), which was passed by the Utah Legislature in March to improve transparency and safeguard taxpayer dollars.
“His support (of SB 165) helped make this transparency measure a reality,” according to Greg Hughes, a spokesman for NoGovInternet. “Taxpayers across Utah will benefit from that.”
The new law obliges Utah cities to meet rigorous public disclosure and bonding standards before opting to construct taxpayer funded broadband networks. Those protections will ensure that city residents receive timely and accurate information before city governments can take on significant debt or make long-term financial commitments for broadband services.
The “Friend of Transparency Award” was jointly created by NoGovInternet and the Utah Taxpayers Association in March of this year to recognize public officials who champion accountability, open processes and taxpayer protection in state and local governance.
The only previous recipient of that award was Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-South Jordan), the original author of SB165.
“Representative Snider is a reliable voice for fiscal responsibility and transparency in state government,” observed Billy Hesterman, president of the UTA. “He recognizes the importance of involving the public before committing their tax dollars to long-term debt.”
NoGovInternet is an organization that opposes local municipalities bonding to install government-owned broadband networks. NoGovInternet works to educate citizens and promote transparency in local government decisions across Utah.
Critics of that impulse argue that government-provided internet consistently ensures faster, more reliable and safer access than those offered by for-profit privately-owned companies.
Founded more than 100 years ago, the Utah Taxpayers Association is a nonpartisan watchdog group that advocates for Utah to remain a low-tax, pro-growth state where public spending serves the taxpayer.