This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Service Area is seeking a 9.49 percent property tax increase to support the Unified Police Department.
A public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Building, 3365 S. 900 West.
The service area includes unincorporated Salt Lake County, Riverton, Herriman and Millcreek.
The Unified Police Department also serves the cities of Midvale, Taylorsville and Holladay.
But those municipalities contract with the agency and are not part of the service area; the proposed tax increase would not apply to residents there.
The proposal would boost the property tax from $298 to $326 per year, a $28 hike, on the average house valued at $281,000.
On a business property valued at $281,000, the proposal would lift property taxes by $51, from $542 to $593.
It has been more than five years since the service area raised taxes, said Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder, who also oversees the UPD.
"I'm really proud of the fact we've really held the line as long as we have," he said.
Inflationary pressures have added 2.5 percent annually to the cost of operations. Much of the increase will go to salaries and benefits, the sheriff said.
The tax increase proposal also would allow the agency the ability to begin exploring construction of much needed substations, the sheriff said.
The proposed tax increase must be unanimously approved by the service area board that is made up of Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, County Council members Jim Bradley and Michael Jensen, as well as Herriman Mayor Carmen Freeman and Riverton City Councilman Trent Staggs.
The service area encompasses about 220,000 people. When contract municipalities are included, the UPD serves about 400,000, the sheriff said.