Copyright Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake County is proposing a tax hike to pay for rising operational costs and investments in public safety. Mayor Jenny Wilson announced the proposed 19.63% hike during Tuesday’s County Council meeting. The average Salt Lake County resident — with a home valued at $638,000 — would see an additional $7.28 tacked on to their monthly tax bills starting in 2026 should the increase pass. “I fully acknowledge that the proposed increase places an additional burden on individuals and families already working hard to make ends meet,” Wilson said Tuesday morning. “But the county is at a point where we have no responsible alternative.” Wilson added that the county has absorbed rising costs “for years” without raising taxes, but those costs have outpaced revenue growth for too long. “At the same time, demand for services continues to grow,” Wilson continued. “ Federal pandemic recovery funds are ending. Inflation has eroded our buying power. Unfunded state mandates are adding even more pressure. To maintain the county services that our residents value and depend on, we must make this investment.” The hike would generate an additional $48.9 million for the county to address inflationary pressures while supporting “growing demands” on the county jail and the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, while also funding programs that provide alternatives to incarceration, Wilson said. Some of the revenue would pay for “several new state-mandated programs” that are currently unfunded, and a portion of the increase would go toward debt service on bonds issued for the county’s new Midvale government center and the renovation of the Salt Palace Convention Center, according to the County Council meeting agenda. The council will present its final budget for public review in late November. Salt Lake County will hold a truth-in-taxation hearing where residents can provide input on the proposed tax hike on Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. Here is a breakdown of where the $48.9 million in additional property tax revenue would go: • About $8.7 million for debt service on the new Midvale government campus. • About $3 million for debt service on the planned Salt Palace renovation. • About $21 million to restore structural balance to county departments including flood control, capital improvements and tax administration. • About $13.5 million to criminal justice program expansion needs. • About $3.9 million toward information technology expansion needs.
