Copyright Salt Lake City Deseret News
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson on Tuesday proposed a nearly 20% property tax increase for next year, saying it’s needed to keep up with rising costs and maintain the county’s sterling bond rating. The county last raised property taxes in 2019. Now, with inflation rising in the intervening years and an end to pandemic-era federal funding, Wilson said there is “no responsible alternative” for the county. “During that time, county leaders have worked hard to absorb growing expenses and rising demand for services within their operations,” she told the Salt Lake County Council. “However, after exhausting every other option, a property tax increase of 19.63% is necessary this year.” The increase would add $48.9 million to the county’s revenue at an average cost of about $7.28 per household per month — still below the rate of inflation since 2020, Wilson said. The tax would “address inflationary pressures and rising operational costs” with essential county services such as tax administration, information technology, data security and government operations, according to the official notice. Funds would also be used to “support investments in public safety to meet increased caseloads and growing demands on the county jail, the district attorney’s office and programs that provide alternatives to incarceration.” “Furthermore, the county must fund several new state-mandated programs that are currently unfunded,” the notice adds. “Finally, a portion of the increase will be allocated to debt service on bonds issued for the new government center campus, as well as a small share of the debt service related to the renovation of the Salt Palace Convention Center.” Wilson said she is focused on public safety and criminal justice reform, two issues that will define her second term in office. Voters rejected a bond last November that would have combined the county’s two jails into one, add additional detention beds and fund a Justice and Accountability center. The mayor noted that nearly three-quarters of the county’s general fund goes to the criminal justice system, stressing the need for “better options than a jail cell for many people who end up there.” “If we get this right, we can do better for taxpayers and for those caught in the system,” she said. The proposed increase is likely to face some public opposition, and some commenters in the virtual County Council meeting expressed frustration at the proposal. “I fully acknowledge that the proposed increase places an additional burden on individuals and families already working hard to make ends meet,” Wilson said. “But the county is at a point where we have no responsible alternative. For years, Salt Lake County has absorbed rising costs — including health care, utilities, technology, staff compensation and infrastructure — without raising taxes. Those costs have now outpaced revenue growth for too long, creating a structural gap we can no longer ignore.” The public can weigh in on the proposal during a scheduled Truth in Taxation hearing at the Salt Lake County Government Center on Dec. 9 at 6 p.m.
