Live in S.L. County? Get set to pay more

Tens of thousands of Salt Lake County residents can expect a one-two punch to their pocketbooks next year -- higher property taxes and a brand new bill for police protection.

That's the reality facing 170,000 residents of the unincorporated county, who may be asked to pay more for policing when the patrol arm of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office splinters into a stand-alone police agency known as the Unified Police Department.

Salt Lake County leaders are considering a law-enforcement fee that would force homeowners and businesses in unincorporated burbs such as Magna, Millcreek and Kearns to write out monthly or quarterly checks for police service -- much like they do for water or power bills.

That means homeowners who already face a countywide property tax increase of about $20 a year under Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon's proposed budget may have to pay an additional $100 or more to keep cops on the street.

Officials say with the economy and sales tax sagging, the county has few other options. Corroon already has slashed $142 million from his 2010 spending plan and recommended a $13.4 million increase in property taxes.

Yet an additional $11 million shortfall remains in the municipal services fund, which pays for citylike services such as snowplows and police patrols. A law-enforcement fee, officials say, could fill that hole.

"We have to do something," Councilman Jim Bradley said.

But the fee

has a high-profile opponent: Sheriff Jim Winder. The top cop said it could send the wrong message to taxpayers, who were told the Unified Police Department would save them money. Instead, thousands will pay more.

"The timing of this is absolutely tragic in my opinion, solely because county residents are going to have the misimpression that the UPD is costing them more money," Winder said. "It just isn't. That is absolutely false."

Instead, the patrol budget is expected to drop 5 percent. Winder accused the county of trying to balance its broader budget problems on the backs of public safety, which didn't create the problem.

Then again, recreation centers didn't cause the problem that could force 10 of them to close on Sundays, countered Councilman Joe Hatch.

"It was a problem created by the recession we were in," Hatch said. "Why should he be given a pass for all the bad things that are happening. Why is he so special?"

Yet the decision about whether to charge residents a fee for police protection won't fall to the County Council, even though the council unanimously endorsed the idea this week. Instead, it will rest with a special taxing district that officials created this year to oversee police funding in the unincorporated county. That district -- governed by a board that includes Corroon, Bradley and Councilman Michael Jensen -- now is awaiting a study to help determine those fees.

Officials say they don't yet have a firm estimate on the cost to the average homeowner or business owner. The fee might vary widely, based on demand. A business that tends to generate more police calls, for example, may pay more than a company that never sees flashing lights outside its doors. But, as a comparison, raising the needed $11 million through a property tax hike in the unincorporated area would cost an average homeowner about $130 a year.

Corroon stands behind the fee approach. With sales taxes down and the district limited by law in how much property tax it can collect, the mayor said a user fee makes sense.

"The bottom line is that there still is a funding gap," he said. "This allows for a stable income source. It also allows a fee to be charged to everyone who uses the service."

jstettler@sltrib.com