On Thursday, mayors from throughout the county approved a resolution urging the County Council to let voters decide the issue this fall.

If the council signs off by mid-August and voters endorse the proposal Nov. 7, property taxes on a $200,000 home will go up by $108 a year. Continued growth in Utah's largest county would lower that tab over the life of the bond.

For that money, residents would gain four new TRAX lines - to Draper, West Valley City, West Jordan/South Jordan and Salt Lake City International Airport - by 2013.

If, however, the proposed bond would threaten the county's cherished triple-A bond rating, other funding avenues - such as a sales-tax boost - could be explored.

Such an option, which could go before the Legislature in January, would require a public vote in November 2007, pushing back the light-rail timeline.

"Some of us felt that delay would be egregious," Midvale Mayor JoAnn Seghini said at Thursday's Salt Lake County Council of Governments meeting. "This resolution doesn't obligate anyone. We know the people want more light-rail transit - the kicker is we have to pay for it somehow."

cmckitrick@sltrib.com