JACK A. OLSON, FORMER HEAD OF ASSOCIATION, PASSES

November 9, 2009—The Utah Taxpayer

Utah’s taxpayer advocate for more than a quarter century, Jack A. Olson, passed away on November 5, 2009 of natural causes at the age of 84. Mr. Olson served as Executive Vice President of the Utah Taxpayers Association for 26 years, replacing Dr. M. Hyrum Harris in 1964 and retiring in January 1990. (The Taxpayers Association was founded in 1922.)


Mr. Olson expanded the mission and membership of the Association, working to prevent tax and spending increases at the state legislature, 29 counties, 40 school districts, and major cities in the Beehive State. He took the association’s membership from a few hundred to over 2,000 members, making it one of the largest statewide taxpayers associations in the nation. “Jack was a fearless defender of taxpayers, he took on politicians when they proposed unreasonable tax increases,” said Senator Howard Stephenson, current President of the Utah Taxpayers Association. “He led the Association through the nationwide taxpayer revolt in the late 1970s and the 1980s, attempting to convert taxpayer outrage into constructive outcomes.”

Mr. Olson fought to ensure that all taxpayers, large and small, homeowner and business were treated similarly. At the same time, he supported circuit breakers for the poor and other measures to reduce the regressivity of the tax system. “One of the first people I met at the Legislature was Jack Olson,” said Senator Lyle Hillyard (R-25). “I found him very engaging, not only because of his understanding of tax policy, but because of his deep respect for Utah and the taxpayers he represented. He left a lasting mark on me, and made Utah a better place.”

He was a trusted and respected tax expert, often the first person legislators and local elected officials turned to for advice on complex tax and spending issues. Believing that essential government services needed to be supported, occasionally he was known to recommend small tax increases early in order to avoid large tax hikes later on.

Mr. Olson kept the Association’s staff small and lean, believing he couldn’t demand lean government if his own office was not following that ideal. Operating the Association with only a secretary for many years, he hired Howard A. Stephenson as research analyst in 1977, who later was tapped to head the organization when Mr. Olson retired.

UMA President Tom Bingham said of Jack, “Jack was one of the first lobbyists I ever met in Utah. He was a mentor of sorts for a young fledgling lobbyist, then representing agriculture and the Utah Farm Bureau. He and Jack Christensen of the Utah Mining Association and Bob Hallady of the Utah Manufacturers Association were ‘The Big Three’ for business and industry. They would sit on the couch outside the Senate and Senators would come to them for counsel and information about business and industry. I joined them as a the representative for agriculture and watched and listened carefully to learn what they had knew and were willing to share.”