News

2020 county budget includes tax increase

San Juan County Commissioners approved a 2020 budget at the last Commission meeting of the year on December 17. The 2020 budget accounts for a tax increase in three separate funds controlled by the county. An actual tax increase will not be addressed until June. The tax increase would be due from...

Petition on Spanish Valley zoning plan progresses to signature phase

A group of San Juan County residents from Spanish Valley are initiating a petition process that could put a controversial action by the San Juan County Commission on the ballot. A petition carrying seven signatures was presented to San Juan County Clerk John David Nielson in November. On December 3...

Blanding City Council discusses water study that state officials call “forward thinking”

The Blanding City Council spent much of their December 10 meeting discussing a water rate study and forecast model. The study is complex and took more than a year to complete, but it’s already being hailed by state officials as forward thinking. State officials caught wind of the study after...

Residents and county officials discuss proposed tax increase at hearing

Nearly 80 county residents crowded the San Juan County Commission Chambers on December 4 for a Truth in Taxation hearing regarding proposed property tax increases. San Juan County Commissioners are poised to consider the increases when they finalize the 2020 county budget before the end of December...

White Mesa Mill bolstered by possibility of increased domestic uranium purchases

A report that a White House task force has recommended the increased purchase of domestic uranium has brought renewed hope to the White Mesa Mill in Blanding, the only federally licensed uranium mill in the United States. The possibility of orders from President Donald Trump to help revive the...

Hundreds of county residents may lose access to food stamps due to new rule

Several hundred San Juan County residents may lose access to food stamps after a new rule was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The changes are set to take effect in April 2020. According to the USDA, the new rule is designed “to help move more able-bodied recipients of...

Is a perfect storm headed towards the county economy?

As County Commissioners consider a property tax increase, a perfect storm may be developing in San Juan County. A worst-case scenario could have catastrophic consequences on the local economy, and eventually on local government. A three-fold challenge could be triggered by 1) increased property...

County Commission determines Spanish Valley citizen petition is referable

The San Juan County Commission held a relatively quick and quiet meeting on December 3 in Monticello. There was no public comment at the meeting for the first time in several months. Commissioners determined that a citizen petition for a referendum on Spanish Valley zoning ordinances is referable...

Blanding City Council prioritizes capital projects to promote growth

The Blanding City Council spent much time at their November 26 meeting discussing capital projects and a development participation program, both of which are designed to encourage growth and development in the city. Councilmembers returned to a previous council discussion to prioritize capital...

Week set apart for avalanche awareness

In the aftermath of last January’s tragic avalanche fatality in the La Sal Mountains near Moab, the State of Utah declared the first week of each December as Avalanche Awareness Week. Utah state Congressman Phil Lyman (R, San Juan County) and state senator Kirk Cullimore (R, Salt Lake County,...