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Residents of unincorporated Salt Lake County, Herriman and Riverton face a 9.5 percent property tax increase next year to pay for police protection.

The Salt Lake County Council on Tuesday signed off on the tax hike proposed by the special service district formed by the county and its two partner cities to pay Unified Police Department (UPD) for law-enforcement service in those communities.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder, who also oversees UPD, projected that the increase would raise the average tax bill for district residents by $2.36 per month. The median tax increase for business would be about $4.29 a month.

Most of the revenue will be used, he said, to increase pay to police officers.

Without the $2.8 million expected to come next year, Winder said the Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Service Area's fund balance will fall below a state-mandated minimum in 2018, leaving it insolvent.

He also left open the possibility of additional tax hikes in several subsequent years.

"This is a reasonable, effective and timely increase in revenues for one of the most critical services" government provides, he added, noting that the service district has not raised taxes since this law-enforcement payment system was established in 2012.

The proposal was approved earlier this month by the service district board, which includes County Council members Jim Bradley and Michael Jensen, County Mayor Ben McAdams, Herriman Mayor Carmen Freeman and Riverton Councilman Trent Staggs.

Herriman endorsed the plan last week, Bradley noted. Now that the County Council has agreed, only Riverton's approval is needed for the service district to proceed with the tax hike. It is expected to weigh in on Tuesday .

"It's absolutely critical we have this tax increase," said Bradley, chairman of the service district board. "We have an obligation to UPD to provide the financial means to do what they do. This proposal allows that to be done."

A University of Utah consultant who studied the service district's financial situation had recommended an 11.5 percent increase, Bradley said, but the district board pared that by 2 percent.

The service district board also considered asking member governments for a commitment to support small annual tax boosts to keep pace with inflation, Bradley added, but it opted instead to reserve the right to discuss possible increases each year.

Winder said the 9.5 percent increase in 2017 will raise $2.8 million. Of that, $1.7 million will be used to shore up the agency's books, $746,000 will cover the inflationary costs of providing services and $298,000 will go to new resources, which could include personnel, equipment, pooled services or support.

One of the service district's long-term concerns involves the future involvement of Millcreek, which becomes a city on Jan. 1.

While the city will start out receiving services from UPD, future city leaders could opt out and hire a different police force, leaving the service district without Millcreek's sizable property-tax base.

Jeff Silvestrini, who is running unopposed for Millcreek mayor after his opponent withdrew for health reasons, said Millcreek residents would support the increase if it meant the UPD didn't lose officers to other agencies that paid better — and if it boosted neighborhood patrols.

"If it goes to those things, then we can support it," Silvestrini said, although he was disturbed that "this tax increase came out of the blue to me." Still, he predicted, "if people are educated about it, they'll probably be supportive. But that educating has not been done yet."

The County Council learned enough to back the proposal unanimously.

Jensen said the service district's reliance on property tax revenues mandates periodic increases to keep pace with the cost of living. "If we don't do something now, we'll have a problem coming down financially in the next couple of years," he said.

While noting that he is typically averse to raising taxes, Councilman Richard Snelgrove said he'd "crunched the numbers" and determined that "this is a tax increase I can support if we're to enjoy a good quality of life."