Think about the big special interests in Salt Lake City — you know, the Zions Banks or Larry H. Miller Group, the labor unions or any of the prospective inland port developers.
None of them spends anywhere near the money or exerts the kind of influence on the city’s mayoral race as one that you might not expect: the big billboard companies and, more specifically, Reagan Outdoor Advertising.
So far this year, Reagan has reported contributing $162,452 of free billboard space to candidates, nearly half of that since the August primary election.
The real value of that space is likely much higher, since billboard companies can report a discounted rate for the billboards they donates — not the actual cost they would charge you or I if we wanted to rent space on the same board.