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- Salt Lake County Council approved a 14% property tax increase after extensive deliberations.
- The increase, generating $36.5 million, will fund critical services like criminal justice.
- Residents expressed concerns over the tax burden amid rising living costs and fixed incomes.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake County Council voted Tuesday night to approve a property tax increase of around 14% for residents, coming in less than the initially proposed increase of nearly 20%.
Members of the County Council voted 8-1 in favor of the amended hike at the end of a truth-in-taxation meeting that lasted more than three hours because of public comments. The property tax increase equates to an additional $64.92 a year on a home valued at $638,000, down from the original proposal, where the average homeowner would've paid an additional $87 a year in property taxes.
The adopted tax increase was reduced by 25% through detailed deliberations and various cuts to get the amount down from what Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson proposed in October.
"We've been working our tails off trying to find those cuts," said Councilwoman Aimer Winder Newton. "We've done things like freezing the salaries of elected officials and doing limited pay raises (and) reducing positions in the mayor's office," she said, explaining areas within the initial proposal that were explored and adjusted.
The increase is expected to generate $36.5 million in property tax revenue, which will be used to help maintain critical county services such as:
- Additional capacity in the District Attorney's Office to address crime in different communities.
- Criminal Justice staffing increases to help reduce recidivism in the county's justice system.
- Funding to help address the county's housing affordability crisis.
In a statement, the County Council's Democratic caucus acknowledged the burden the property tax increase may have on residents who are already struggling to make ends meet.
"Asking residents to contribute additional taxes is not a decision we take lightly. However, the county's continued growth, inflation, decreasing federal revenue and unfunded requirements from the state legislature necessitated the county's first property tax increase in six years," the statement reads.
Many who spoke during a public hearing portion of Tuesday's meeting voiced their concerns about how the increase may impact people on fixed incomes and families who are already struggling with other price hikes.
"While I understand the need to adequately fund public services, I believe that raising property taxes at this time would place an undue burden on homeowners who are already facing rising costs of living, insurance and utilities," said Casey Poe, a Salt Lake City resident.
Some members of the County Council said they will continue fighting for services like county-run daycare facilities and a pre-apprenticeship program designed to help women in trades enter the workforce, after funding was unable to be preserved in the final budget.
However, construction to rebuild the Tenth East Senior Center will continue as planned.
