3 Highway Building
Starting in 1990, Utah began to change in a significant, unrelenting way. Census and demographic data showed the state had 1.8 million people at the start of the decade, with a growth trajectory pointing straight up. One would think that a surge in population could be accommodated in a state with a landmass as large and expansive as ours. However, 88 percent of the population of Utah is concentrated within the four counties of the Wasatch Front: Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, and Weber counties—making Utah much more of an urban state than generally assumed. When the state’s southern and northern population centers are added into the equation—Washington County (St. George) and Cache County (Logan)—the urbanization factor is even more pronounced. The story is the same today with nearly twice the population. At the time I was running for office, it was apparent that Utahns were beginning to feel the impact of accelerating growth and were a bit alarmed. As I listened to people during the campaign, I heard concerns about the need for better jobs in the state. Parents worried about the opportunities their children would have and whether they could stay in Utah as they
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