Councilwoman Judy Carmichael, who has said she opposes the tax increase, cast the lone dissenting vote among five members in attendance. The council did not comment on the budget Tuesday night prior to the vote.

Taxes levied to the county's general fund, which amounts to about $5.8 million of the total county budget, cover the cost of county operations, including employees and benefits, law enforcement, equipment, and utilities.

In recent weeks, several council members expressed concerns about raising taxes, but said they decided the move is necessary to balance the budget.

"It's a challenge," Councilwoman Joette Langianese said Wednesday. "Nobody wants to raise taxes. But the situation in Grand County is that the costs are going up and county revenues are not. It's the same problem faced by most other counties in the state."

Langianese said Grand County is somewhat unique in that the tourist economy that is the lifeblood of the area also strains the county's finances.

"We have a county of 9,000 people that swells to 20,000 or 30,000 for six months out of the year," she said. "It costs us more for . . . county services."