"We owe it to the public to ask," said John Inglish, general manager for the Utah Transit Authority.

The Salt Lake County Council is inclined to agree, so long as the proposed property-tax increase for expanded light rail doesn't steamroll the county's highly coveted bond rating.

On Tuesday, the council passed a resolution that supports, in principle, UTA's plan to speed construction of four planned TRAX lines - to West Jordan-South Jordan, West Valley City, Draper and Salt Lake City International Airport - to get the trains rolling by 2015.

To help pay the $1.25 billion bill, UTA wants the council to place an $895 million bond question before Salt Lake County voters in November. That property-tax increase would cost an average of $95 a year on a $180,000 home.

"This puts the burden on your shoulder," Inglish told the council. "I'll be perfectly open about that."

The county politicians stopped short of routing the referendum directly to the ballot - they first want details of the bond costs reviewed by their Debt Review Committee - but they mostly declared support.

"People are going to pay now or pay later," Councilman Jim Bradley said, suggesting the new TRAX spurs also would be a signal for business that the county "has it together."

Councilman Joe Hatch agreed. "This is the best kind of economic development, particularly for the west side," he said. "This is the kind of infrastructure we all want for good growth."

But Councilman Mark Crockett warned UTA officials that Tuesday's resolution should not be interpreted as a promise by the council to deliver county cash.

"You're a little bit further down the analysis and the emotional absorption than the rest of us are," he told Inglish.

Instead, the resolution directs UTA executives to pay for a bond-rating analysis in case the Debt Review Committee deems the expense appropriate.

Alternative funding sources, which Inglish dismissed, could be a nearly 10-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax countywide or a property-tax boost across the UTA district. The latter would target residents in several counties outside Salt Lake County.

In 2000, voters in Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties agreed to boost their sales taxes to help fund expanded bus and rail service.

Transportation officials suggest the tax burden to residents will decrease as growth in the Salt Lake Valley increases over the 30-year life of the proposed bond. To further cushion the blow, they note some $80 million per year in federal funding could be available.

If the TRAX bond is placed on the ballot and voters approve, the light-rail lines would be complete in seven to eight years. Inglish also notes the extensions would be "double-tracked," dropping the wait time for trains from 15 minutes to 5 or less.

After the financial review, the County Council must decide by early August whether to put the TRAX question on the Nov. 7 ballot.

djensen@sltrib.com