Uber pilot program

A resident objected to approving the Uber deal without the public having seen the actual proposal, calling the $500,000 a transfer payment from taxpayers to Uber and questioning why the city would subsidize rides for people who already own cars. He said it should go through the normal budget process.

An 18-year-old Woodlawn High senior attending his first public meeting asked how the program would track whether rides actually start and stay within St. George — a technical question the mayor noted would be answered outside the comment period.

The same businessman who opposed the disorderly ordinance came back in favor of the Uber idea, calling it a responsible, bold experiment that could drive sales tax revenue and improve public safety by reducing drunk driving.

A city employee who helped apply for the Uber grant explained the pilot isn't a final commitment — the city needs transit data one way or another, and the subsidy helps keep St. George dollars in St. George.

From the Concrete neighborhood, he argued $500,000 is a bargain to test a transit concept compared to the millions other transit systems get, and that residents themselves will be the ultimate judges of whether it works.