Sandy to annex Snowbird Ski Resort?

(Salt Lake Tribune) Sandy could take Snowbird under its wing.

Sen. Curtis Bramble, R-Provo, has introduced a bill that would allow the Little Cottonwood Canyon ski resort to bolt from unincorporated Salt Lake County and become part of Sandy.

Although Snowbird is miles away from Sandy and doesn't touch a common boundary, SB244 would allow the resort to annex into its not-so-near neighbor since their borders are separated only by federal lands.

It's a tempting prospect for Snowbird. It's not that the resort has found itself at odds with the county over future development. It's that taxes are getting too high.

"What we are trying to do is find an effective, cost-efficient government for our area," Snowbird General Manager Bob Bonar said Tuesday. "We have a responsibility to do that. It is not about better ordinances or different zoning."

The legislative push comes just weeks before Snowbird -- and the rest of unincorporated Salt Lake County -- will be asked to pay more for police protection to shore up the county's recession-bruised budget. The resort's annual police tab could reach $124,000.

Original Article