This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
This much is certain: Salt Lake County's police fee is going away.
This much isn't: How to pay for patrols in unincorporated neighborhoods without it.
The county announced Tuesday that it has scheduled a series of public meetings in June that will ask constituents in unincorporated suburbs such as Copperton, Magna and Emigration Canyon how they suggest paying for policing without the law enforcement levy.
The meetings come just months after the Utah Legislature — at the urging of Rep. Wayne Harper, R-West Jordan — passed a bill requiring that the state's most-populous county do away the fee no later than Dec. 31, 2012.
So the county must figure out how to make up for an estimated $12 million in lost revenue that pays for police officers in unincorporated areas.
"We've got to start putting some things into place," Councilman Jim Bradley said.
Options are limited: Increase property taxes, transfer sales taxes, reduce services or come up with a combination of all of the above.
As yet, the County Council hasn't discussed alternatives to the fee. Council Chairman Max Burdick said he will get that conversation going "immediately."
Although the fee doesn't expire until the end of 2012, Burdick said he favors phasing it out as soon as possible — with the public's help.
"Sooner is better," he said.
Mount Olympus Community Council member Jeff Silvestrini lauded the plan to reach out before making any change.
"The fact you are giving people an opportunity to hear about it is good," he told County Council members Tuesday. "Most people are going to be pleased to hear that [the fee] is going away. It is about time."
The county will stage its first public meeting June 7 at the Kearns Library.
twitter: Stettler_Trib —
Meetings set
Salt Lake County will stage a series of public meetings in June to discuss how to pay for law enforcement in unincorporated suburbs such as Magna, Millcreek and Kearns once its police fee is gone. Here's the schedule:
Kearns • 6-8 p.m. June 7, Kearns Library, 5350 S. 4220 West
Southeast Islands • 7-9 p.m. June 8, Peruvian Park Elementary, 1545 E. 8425 South, Sandy
Big Cottonwood Canyon • 7-9 p.m., June 13, Whitmore Library, 2197 E. Fort Union Blvd. (7000 South), Cottonwood Heights
Emigration Canyon • 7-9 p.m., June 14, Emigration Fire Station, 5025 E. Emigration Canyon Road
Copperton • 6:30-8:30 p.m., June 15, Bingham Canyon Lions Club, 320 Hillcrest St., Copperton
Magna • 7-9 p.m., June 16, Webster Community Center, 8925 W. 2700 South, Magna
General unincorporated • 7-9 p.m. , June 21, County Government Center, 2001 S. State St., Salt Lake City
Millcreek • 7-9 p.m., June 29, Salt Lake Christian Center, 4300 S. 700 East, Millcreek
Source • Salt Lake County —
County Council: Sorry, guv, this is your fight
If the Republican-led Legislature wants to override Gov. Gary Herbert's veto of a road construction funding bill, the Salt Lake County Council won't say boo — despite an attempt Tuesday to back the GOP governor's veto.
Councilman Jim Bradley, a Democrat, urged colleagues to support Herbert, arguing that the Legislature's proposal to earmark $60 million in sales tax revenue for roads could lead to less funding for some county services.
But the council chose to remain neutral, voting 7-2 to take no position on the veto override session scheduled for Friday.
"It is not our family's fight," said Councilman Michael Jensen, a Republican.
The only other council member siding with Bradley: Democrat Jani Iwamoto.
Jeremiah Stettler