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Salt Lake County Mayor Proposes 19.63% Property Tax Hike to Close Budget Gap

The proposal seeks $48.9 million to cover inflation-driven costs, criminal justice pressures, debt service ahead of a Dec. 9 tax hearing.

Overview

  • The plan would generate $48.9 million, costing the median $638,000 home about $87.37 per year, or $7.28 per month.
  • New revenue is directed to operations, public safety needs at the jail and district attorney’s office, programs that provide alternatives to incarceration, and unfunded state mandates.
  • A portion is earmarked for debt service on bonds for a new government center campus and a small share of Salt Palace renovation debt, with leaders emphasizing preservation of the county’s bond rating.
  • County officials cite six years without a tax increase, the end of pandemic-era federal funds, and inflation as drivers of a structural budget gap.
  • The Truth in Taxation hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9 at 6 p.m., early public feedback has been largely critical, and some county council members signaled they will seek to pare back the proposed rate.