Tooele County taxpayers have told their county commission they can’t afford two tax increases and a new proposed tax for 2016.
Tooele County Commissioners listened and took notes while citizens commented for nearly an hour during a public hearing Tuesday night at the Tooele County Building.
The hearing was held to gather public input on a proposed seven-percent increase to both the county general property and municipal services property tax levies. Also proposed is a new health and aging services property tax levy.
“You cannot tax us any more than you already have,” said Teresa McNeill, a small business owner who lives in unincorporated Tooele County. “My taxes are up 33 percent between all the different taxes. You have the responsibility to figure out what to do with your piece of the pie, not make your piece bigger. Look at what you can cut from what department and live within your means. You gentlemen need to get this under control.”
Sheila Snow of Grantsville said she’s had enough tax increases.
“I’m just going to say, ‘enough, enough,’” Snow said. “We don’t need any more taxes. People live on a fixed income. Social Security people didn’t get a raise and you want them to pay more? Enough. You’ve got to learn to control this, to mange it, to budget it. Do your jobs and quit increasing taxes.”
Out of the 25 people who spoke at the public hearing, only one, Jeff Coombs, Tooele City resident and director of the Tooele County Health Department, spoke in favor of the tax increases.
“I think some representation of county agencies is appropriate here,” he said. “The county is just coming out of a financial crisis. Severe cuts were taken. Over 100 employees lost their jobs. Employees went years with no pay increase and they lost other benefits. A tax increase is a big step, but it is necessary. County employees are taxpayers too.”
He added, “I commend the commission for having the political will to face these tough issues. Health insurance and retirement costs go up every year. Inflation costs go up as well. … I don’t want a tax increase, but I recognize that even with the increase, our tax rate is still on the low end compared to our neighbors.”
The county commission will vote on the proposed tax increases, along with approving the final budget for 2016, after a public hearing on the budget at their Dec. 1 meeting, according to Wade Bitner, Tooele County Commission chairman.
“Right now the tentative budget is a kind of wish list submitted by every department head,” he said. “We will go through the budget and make changes before the final budget hearing.”
While Bitner believes the commission will whittle a sizable portion off of the expense requests for 2016 prior to the final budget hearing, he said a tax increase of some size will be hard to avoid.
“Even without any new employees, expenses, or cost of living pay increases, we still need to find a way to reduce our reliance on federal payment in lieu of taxes for ongoing operating expenses, pay for the increase in health insurance and retirement benefits, as well as build our reserves to assure our financial stability,” Bitner said.
While the commission has reserved the possibility of a seven percent increase in both the general property tax levy and the municipal services property tax levy, Bitner said the actual increase, if any, might be lower.
“We’re going through the tentative budget one department at a time,” he said. “We will make reductions and find savings where we can.”
If the county adopts the full 7 percent increase in the general levy and the municipal services levy, the owner of a $200,000 home anywhere in Tooele County, including incorporated areas, will pay an additional $11.37 per year in property taxes.
On top of the general levy increase, owners of a $200,000 home in unincorporated county will also pay an additional $6.47 per year through the municipal services property tax.
If the county adopts the proposed .000207 tax rate for the new health and aging services property tax levy, all owners of a $200,000 hone will pay an additional $22.77 per year for the new tax.
A public hearing to consider the adoption of the 2016 budget will be on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Tooele County Building.