Buoyed by healthy sales tax numbers, along with nearly $4 million from the LDS Church's downtown City Creek Center, the council was able to adopt the $202 million spreadsheet with few major sacrifices.

The capital will see a brood of new cops, planners and firefighters, while residents will not face a property tax increase.

But beginning next spring, city residents will be able to get a third refuse can, for yard clippings and other green waste, for a small fee.

The new receptacle was one segment of Mayor Rocky Anderson's green budget that sailed through. However, his push to steer $1 million in seed money for renewable energy - dubbed "Energy Fund for the Future" - was slashed in half. That $500,000, along with Anderson's proposed sustainability director, will not be allocated until January, after the mayor leaves office.

"We're moving the green agenda forward but in a responsible way," said Councilman Dave Buhler, who is vying to succeed Anderson in City Hall.

Councilman Eric Jergensen agreed, saying the renewable energy push is proactive "but it's not fully defined.

"There's not enough meat on the bone."

Still, with the total up $70 million for enterprise funds, utilities (including a water fee bump) and capital projects, the budget is beefy.

Of the budget's $14 million boost in growth-related revenue, half will be swallowed by employee salaries and benefits.

To offset expenses, the council agreed to hike parking rates from 50 cents to $1 at the airport, and to $1 at the City Library and Gallivan Center. That same fee could apply to the Salt Palace and Matheson Courthouse pending a legal review.

Predicting Salt Lake City's strong economy cannot last, council members pledged to up the city's fund balance from 10 percent to 15 percent for a rainy day fallback. Despite the smooth adoption, there was one wrinkle. Councilwoman Nancy Saxton, also a mayoral candidate, refused to vote for the finished product. By continuing to fund the Civilian Review Board, Saxton insisted the council was "complicit" in the problems surrounding the police watchdog group. Following a controversial leak, and subsequent city investigation, the CRB has seen a recent exodus of members.

"The confidence in this particular board is completely eroded," Saxton said, suggesting there seems to be "total denial" of the CRB chaos.

djensen@sltrib.com