No honeymoon for the Unified Police Department.
When the new police force breaks away from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office next year, it won't get any special treatment from the county.
Instead, the County Council voted 9-0 Tuesday to cut its contribution to the agency by $375,000 to reflect the whittled-down wages those patrol deputies and civilian staffers would have received if they still were working for the county.
With the county's budget bruised and the economy sputtering, officials announced plans last month to shave employees' 2010 salaries by 2.75 percent. But that pay cut didn't extend to the sheriff's patrol division, which technically won't work for the county next year.
Instead, those 530-plus employees will join the UPD -- an independent law enforcement agency governed by officials from the county and a handful of member cities including Holladay, Herriman and Riverton.
So while the county cannot dictate how much to pay UPD's patrol officers next year, it can pare down its contribution for police protection.
And it did.
Councilwoman Jenny Wilson said the county's scaled-back spending says nothing about its commitment to the UPD. Rather, it is about cutting costs wherever possible to balance the budget.
"This decision is not meant to be anything more than an acceptance of reality," she said. "We are in a financial pickle."
