Cameron Dale, director of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, told attendees at the league conference in St. George that cities should prepare now for several deadlines and policy fights during the interim, including an April 30 reporting deadline for ARPA funds and a state housing plan that must finish recommendations by December.

Dale said the league worked this spring to help 37 Utah cities that missed an earlier federal reporting deadline and that its staff and local administrative advisers preserved about 83% of $5,300,000 that otherwise risked being returned to the federal government. "You don't want to run the risk of having to recoup this money to the federal government," Dale said.

Why it matters: the interim sets the groundwork for the 2026 legislative session and contains policy work that can require local implementation and funding. Dale said the league will push members to engage year-round, not only during the session, to shape outcomes on housing, water, energy, public safety and federal policy that affect municipal budgets.

Top priorities and details

ARPA reporting: Dale highlighted a hard reporting deadline of April 30 for ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) allocations and said Treasury records showed 37 Utah cities had missed the December deadline, risking recoupment of $5,300,000. The league's local administrative advisers — including McKenna Marchand and John Park — helped recover an estimated 83% of that amount, Dale said.

Housing: The Utah State Housing Plan has moved into phase two. Dale said the plan's work groups have a statutory requirement to finish recommendations this calendar year, with deliverables due by December. He urged cities to continue providing feedback in interim work groups and caucuses.

Federal municipal-bond risk: Dale described work the league commissioned with outside consultants to quantify the local impact if Congress were to remove the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds. The league identified about $18,000,000,000 in municipal bonds issued in Utah over the last five years and shared that data with the state's federal delegation to illustrate potential fiscal impacts on residents and cities.

Water and wildfire: Dale said water and wildfire mitigation will be major interim topics. He referenced different regional conditions across the state — noting the Wasatch Front is in relatively better shape than areas to the south — and named the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands and the Washington County Water Conservancy District as participants in ongoing conversations.

Energy and technology: The governor's Operation Gigawatt, Dale said, signals emphasis on expanding power capacity — including a role for nuclear energy — to meet growth and to support Utah's ambitions in artificial intelligence. He urged municipal power departments to engage with the league on those planning and siting issues.

Public safety and criminal justice: Dale noted dozens of bills in the public safety space during the session and referenced a governor-led task force on criminal justice as an item likely to generate discussion this summer. He characterized local governments as "the front lines of criminal justice."

Land use and new transportation modes: Looking ahead to large events and changing transportation needs, Dale said state law now authorizes the creation of vertiports for air taxis and that land-use and transportation officials will need to consider how to address those facilities in local planning.

League support and member engagement: To help cities comply with new and existing mandates, Dale said the league published a municipal calendar of effective dates, ran webinars and provided staff support through local administrative advisers. He encouraged mayors and council members to use caucuses, the legislative policy committee and face-to-face invitations to build relationships with legislators during the summer and through the filing and campaign period.

Quotes and sourcing: All direct quotations in this report are from Cameron Dale, director of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, speaking at the league conference in St. George. Dale said, "the legislative process never ends," and urged members to "look to the horizon" for interim work and deadlines.

What the league said it will do next: Dale described interim work groups, training programs on conflict navigation and continued outreach to the governor's office and federal delegation. He also credited member caucuses for influencing state rule changes that expanded eligibility for an outdoor recreation grant to include regional parks.

Logistics and next steps: Dale asked attendees to use the league's Friday Facts distribution for updates and to notify league board members about regional events so staff can participate. He also noted the conference barbecue had been moved indoors because of weather, and that caucus meetings would follow later the same day.

Ending: Dale closed by thanking league staff and members for their engagement and said the league will seek member input over the summer on housing, water, energy, public safety and federal policies that he said will shape municipal decision-making heading into the 2026 legislative session.