Welcome to the Future of Millcreek Association
What would you like to do?
Sign the Petition
Learn more about the Incorporation Process
Learn more about the history of this issue
Find a Map of the Millcreek Township
Read the Feasibility Study
Volunteer to help
What is the Millcreek Township?
The Township includes the Millcreek community area, the Canyon Rim area, the East Mill Creek area, and the Mt Olympus area, as well as extending up Millcreek Canyon to the Summit County line.
What area is included in the feasibility study?
The Feasibility Study included the Millcreek Township and a small section of unincorporated Salt Lake County not in the Township, adjacent to us and Murray City. For further information on the area, see the Boundaries Map accompanying the MillCreek Incorporation Petition June 2011 with Map.
What does the Feasibility Study show?
The Study explains what the Township revenues and expenditures are. It outlines the financial base needed to consider becoming our own city, rather than remaining as unincorporated Salt Lake County. See also the What Does it Mean? post.
Why do I need to sign a petition?
The initial petition was required to obtain a Feasibility Study. The next step requires additional signatures to allow residents to VOTE on incorporation.
Where can I get more information?
Please see the MillCreek Incorporation Flyer Jan 2012. It contains important information about the Feasibility Study and includes some of the reasons to consider when becoming a city.
Who are the supporters of the petition?
On the back of the flier is a list of our first 200 supporters. A list of our first 200 supporters can be found here. You may know some of them. Thousands of property owners have signed the petitions. They support the democratic process to allow Millcreek Township residents to vote on our future. We need thousands more signatures by December 2012 to make that happen.
I understand the fears about incorporating that have been expressed, but I have researched this and feel there are compelling reasons to become our own city of 64,000 which would make us the fifth largest in the county, tenth largest in the state. The top three reasons are: (1 ) keep revenues here, (2) lower taxes, and (3) obtain local control. We’ve received very encouraging information about our future financial stability from the comprehensive independent study done by consultants from Lewis, Young, Robertson, and Burningham. As state law requires, Salt Lake County funded the study under the supervision of the Governor’s office and the final report is posted on the Salt Lake County mayor’s web site: http://mayor.slco.org/pdf/Millcreek_FeasibilitFinal.pdf
This 72-page report indicates that the City of Millcreek with the same boundaries we currently have would be a self-sustaining city. The study provides comparative analyses of the current revenues and cost of services of the County versus what they would be if we became a city, including the option of contracting municipal services with the County. It establishes that as a city, we will be at “100% revenues to expenditures.” That means we will not have to increase taxes nor lower municipal services if we incorporate!
In addition, the study, coupled with information released by the County Auditor’s office, indicates that we will have a 2% revenue surplus by five years after becoming our own city. The County, on the other hand, has announced a $17 million shortfall. It is clear that we will be much better off financially by becoming a city than if we stay under the County. And remember, this study was done under the supervision of the County and the Governor! This isn’t just wishful thinking of a few.
I urge you to give this careful thought. . .things will change, let’s have control of the change!
Deirdre Paulsen
The fear of change is real and understandable. But, the logic that doing nothing will stop change is flawed. The reality is that Salt Lake County has many issues on its plate; and, the biggest of these issues are ‘regional’ issues, not area specific. The leaders for the county on most all levels will tell you that they are focused first and foremost on the regional issues before them. I, for one, think that their focus is rightly placed and it should be the charge of the residents of Millcreek to determine our local issues.
So, who makes decisions for Millcreek residents and our local concerns? Truth be told, no one within our township has that decision making power. If you are county council member, an oath has been taken to represent the whole county, not an area. If you are the SLCO Mayor, a similar oath is taken. We have dedicated and hard working ‘advisory’ board members, from community councils to planning commissioners. But, in the end, they cannot make a binding decision, only give a recommendation to SLCO.
The ‘status quo’ will not remain in Millcreek Township. It never has. But, it is our obligation and duty as the residents of the township to closely review all the options to preserve the aspects of our area we hold dear.
I am well into this review. And at this time, my detailed research points to incorporation as the best and most cost effective way to insure we, as the residents of Millcreek, have the decision making voice in the future of our area.
So, please review closly the ramifications of ‘hoping’ nothing changes. And then decide if you would like an active voice in the reality that change will happen or are content to watch it happen.
I prefer to remain in Salt Lake County and to NOT be a part of a Millcreek. Although, I would support Murray in annexing our subdivision since we are 1 block from Murray and it is a city with a proven track record.
My family prefers the Township – no incorporation. Millcreek as a City would add another layer of taxation as well as political infighting – neighbor against neighbor. Look at Holladay. Former friends are now enemies. Their financial stability is weak. People who live there wish they had never incorporated. Our friends in West Valley feel the same. Let’s work to get our boundaries frozen again before February 2013. If the same amount of effort is put into remaining a Township as is being put into becoming a City, Millcreek Township could remain as now constituted.
I may not know all the answers to your goals of taking Olympus Hills out of the unincorporated Salt Lake County. My wife and I are very satisfied with the County government we now have. It boggles my mind to think you can create a new city with no increase in taxes. What about the City Hall which you will build, and financing the mayoral elections, etc. that will be part of getting the city up and running? It costs a lot of money to buy garbage trucks, snow plows, police cars, and the people who work on them. If you plan to contract with Salt Lake County for these services, why go through the work of trying to start from scratch to do the things the County now does very well? If you should be successful in your quest to become the City of Millcreek, you can be certain our address will still be Salt Lake City, UT 84124. I will always want to be identified with Salt Lake City and have our correspondents know we live in a city they have heard of’ instead of thinking we are now living in a suburb of Podunk.
I grew up in Holladay, and have many friends there. I have asked many of those friends that if they had a chance to vote again on making Holladay a city, 100% of them would vote NO. If you are successful in giving those of us who live in what may become part of the City of Millcreek a vote on this, you can be sure my family will vote NO. I have not taken a poll of ALL my friends in Olympus Hills about how they would vote, but I know that at your meeting held a few months ago at Churchill Jr. High, all of my neighbors who were there were opposed to being part of the City of Millcreek. I can think of no reason that would cause me to vote YES on your desire to become the City of Millcreek.
I don’t enjoy raining on your parade, but want no part of your project.
Arland Larsen