2026 LEGISLATIVE POLICY AGENDA
The Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau represents over 1200 businesses in Summit County, UT. Our board of directors are in support of the following statements as they apply to local, state and federal policies.
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY & BUSINESS CLIMATE
- Maintaining a stable and predictable regulatory business environment, tax structure and encouraging smart economic development and sustainable initiatives.
- Maintaining TRT funding for Utah’s tourism promotion, destination development, and destination management efforts.
- Investments and policies to preserve Utah’s branding as a favorable environment for business, tourism, and job creation.
- Encouraging collaboration and increased public-private partnerships to strengthen Utah’s economy.
- Rural economic development incentives that improve effectiveness of existing programs and reduce potential duplications.
- Creating Convention and Tourism Assessment Areas (CTAA) as an available tool throughout the state.
- Legislation that protects businesses from frivolous lawsuits.
- Deliberate and careful consideration of tariffs and their potential impact on business and the economy.
- Policies and funding allocations to advance Utah as a welcoming and accessible destination.
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
- Local and State government investment in programs to address labor shortages and a stable workforce such as housing, insurance and childcare.
- Funding for workforce reentry programs, focusing on assisting displaced workers, women re-entering the workforce and underserved communities.
- Targeted workforce development investments and partnerships with Utah’s K-12 and higher education system to meet identified workforce needs.
- Policies to remove discriminatory hiring and employment practices, close the gender wage gap, and foster equality in hiring and advancement.
- Maintaining E-Verify requirements for businesses with 50 employees or more.
TAXATION
- A taxation system that is competitive, fair, consistent, and easily administered, that will attract new investments and support Utah jobs.
- Continued investment of Transient Room Taxes (TRT) to benefit the visitor economy.
- Transparency in tax collections and compliance for Short Term Rental (STR) and vacation rentals by owner platforms to ensure all remit accurate taxes.
- All STR lodging properties to be on an equal playing field regarding taxation and auditability.
- Continuous improvement of State Tax Commission policies & procedures to ensure tax collection accuracy, management, and system ease of use by taxpayers.
- Property tax policies that achieve constitutionally required fair market value for all types of properties.
HOUSING
- Ongoing funding and strategies to address Summit County’s affordable housing crisis.
- Public/private partnerships to address housing diversity and affordability issues.
- Workforce development efforts that address Utah’s ongoing construction and trade labor shortage.
- Efforts to address short term rental and vacation rental by owner impacts on local housing inventory and safety.
HEALTHCARE
- Reforms that lower healthcare costs, foster innovation, and enhance the private market.
- Improved price transparency to better inform businesses and families about their health care costs.
- Policies that make access to mental health care services simpler and more affordable, reduce provider shortage, and prevent suicides in our state.
IMMIGRATION
- Comprehensive federal immigration reform encouraging economic growth.
- Immigration laws that comply with the principles of the Utah Compact and promote the education, availability, and expertise of our workforce.
- Policies that encourage affordable expansion of international worker visa protections to assist with the labor shortage.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
- Policies raising awareness of the economic and cultural value of creative industries.
- Development and funding of arts & culture assets, programming, and events, as tools for a healthy, thriving, and diverse economy and community.
- Development and funding of Utah’s recreational assets to ensure preservation and access to meet growing demands by residents and visitors.
- Program development and funding for special events that provide benefits in art, culture or recreation for the community and increased economic vitality.
- Raising the visibility, understanding and support of the film industry and multimedia production as economic development.
TRANSPORTATION
- Transportation policies, innovation, and plans that provide high-quality of life by promoting good health, better mobility, a strong economy, and connected communities.
- Investment in electric charging stations to meet the growth in electric vehicle usage.
- Funding for public transit solutions to ski resorts and mountain communities.
- Programming to provide technical assistance to local communities as they plan for growth, specifically the connection between transportation, land use, and transit-oriented development.
- High Valley Transit’s and Park City Municipal’s efforts to develop local and regional transportation infrastructure.
- Funding of state and regional trails connectivity and active transportation.
ALCOHOL SALES AND LICENSING
- Expanding alcohol portability, delivery and storage in licensed venues.
- Expanding alcohol licenses at resorts to include wine and spirits.
- Re-allocation of the percentage split for food sales (70%) vs alcohol sales (30%) to address rising costs, competitive advantage, and changing clientele.
- Increased number of special single event permits per venue and including wine on the 90-day permit.
- Increased quotas/formulas for restaurant, bar, and banquet licenses.
- Simplification and streamlining of licensing and permitting to improve retailer and DABS’ efficiency.
- Training and certification enhancements for restaurant and bar licensees' staff for health and safety and identification verification.
- Solutions for Identification Verification flexibility for international visitors and patrons over the age of 35.
- Licensee pricing for Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS) products.
- Allowing 18–20-year-old restaurant servers to assist with Utah’s restaurant labor shortage.
ENVIRONMENT
- City and County efforts to be net-zero carbon community-wide by 2030 and to achieve net 100% renewable nuclear, thermal, wind and solar electric energy by 2030.
- Legislation, regulation and investment to strengthen resilience, sustainability and reliability of the electric power grid.
- Initiatives and partnerships to reduce emissions and improve air quality.
- Policies to implement the goals of the Utah Climate and Clean Air Compact.
- Advancements in water technology and infrastructure, to improve efficiency and conservation.
- Water rights law stability, predictability, accountability and incentives for water rights holders.
- Policies and investment to protect the Great Salt Lake.
- Incentives for businesses to increase building energy efficiency.
WILDFIRE PREVENTION & MITIGATION
- Funding and policies for forestry management to mitigate the impact of wildfire and to protect the watershed.
- Funding, resources and policy to address wildfire mitigation as a key component of combating climate change and to minimize the health, environmental and economic consequences of prolonged wildfire smoke.
- Protections for businesses and residents' ability to obtain fire insurance.
OLYMPIC GAMES AND LEGACY PROJECTS
- Opportunities to position Summit County as the Alpine Heart of the Games and help businesses leverage lasting benefits.
- Initiatives to deliver exceptional hospitality and guest experience, including evolving alcohol policies & accessibility.
- Investment to support projects in regional transit and transportation improvements on SR 224, SR 248 and Parley’s Canyon.
- Policies and funding supporting the Arts and Cultural Olympiad.
- Sustainability policy initiatives to support net zero carbon emissions and zero waste events.
- Ensuring infrastructure and design is accessible for all.