Utah County leaders face a looming deadline to file ballot language for a proposed quarter-cent sales tax increase, but the question of which transportation projects would be financed with the money remains open for debate.

Darrell Cook, executive director of the Mountainland Association of Governments, on Tuesday urged Utah County commissioners to focus the proceeds of the local option tax on commuter rail projects that will alleviate traffic as Interstate 15 is rebuilt.

Commissioner Jerry Grover and county public works director Clyde Naylor both said the money would be better spent on already-clogged roads.

County voters in November will be asked to approve a quarter-cent sales tax increase to pay for transportation projects. The tax would raise an estimated $15 million in the first year and hundreds of millions over 30 years.

In order to put the question to voters, commissioners must prepare a ballot that says what percentage of funds raised will go for road projects and what portion will pay for commuter rail. Commissioners expect to make that decision by next week.

Two road projects were identified Tuesday as priorities -- 4800 West in Highland between S.R. 92 and the Pleasant Grove interchange, and 400 South in Springville. Those projects are expected to cost $60 million.

Cook also said that the additional funds would arrive at a good time to work on connecting Utah and Salt Lake counties with commuter rail. Grover, however, said he was worried about spreading the money too thinly.

"You can't mix or match," he said. "Roads are a mess now. The immediate need is roads. Although commuter rail will help, that's basically an I-15 issue."

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.