Citing a drop in building permits and sales taxes, as well as falling property values and increased costs, the City Council took comment on a 66.06 percent tax increase. At press time, the council still was discussing the plan.

But Jeannie Bell, the city's controller, said it's the increase represents the cost of preserving the quiet atmosphere people find attractive.

"We live in a beautiful place," Bell said. "But a community like Mapleton has to have services, like police. If we don't have money coming in or have a lot of building and businesses, we have to find it elsewhere."

Building permit revenues dropped 60 percent this year, as well as sales taxes. Councilman Brian Wall, who sat on the budget committee, said department heads were asked to go over their budgets and pare each line item back as far as possible. And then the city asked for a 10 percent reduction. Even with those cuts, the budget still was coming out $400,000 short, requiring a tax increase to bring it back into balance.

The $3.6 million budget the council approved Wednesday was more than $800,000 less than last year's budget.

Mayor Laurel Brady said the city is not alone in having to raise taxes. Other cities are having to raise taxes as well because of inflation.

But residents attending the Truth in Taxation Hearing said the city needed to do what families do during tough times - live within their means.

Resident Lance McShane, a contractor, said one way the city could cut expenses is to put as many city services up for bid to private contractors as possible. He said that would stabilize costs and make it easier for the city to trim its budget.

If the times are tough, city employees should be willing to sacrifice, said Jim Jurgens. He proposed cutting all salaries by 10 percent to bring the budget in line without burdening taxpayers.

But Councilman Mike Cobia said that move would cost more in the long run.

"You would lose all your employees and have to retrain people," Cobia said.

dmeyers@sltrib.com

The bottom line

The owner of a $500,000 home in Mapleton would pay $787.05 in property taxes, an increase of $248.05 more than he paid in 2007.