Budget requests from department heads have Tooele County commissioners considering another tax increase in 2015.
Tuesday night the commissioners approved a tentative budget for next year that totals $52.4 million, which is $4.9 million or 10.2 percent more than the county’s 2014 budget.
And that tentative budget includes two versions, one with and without a tax increase.
At the request of the county commissioners, Tooele County Auditor Mike Jensen prepared two scenarios for next year’s budget: One with a 5 percent increase in both the county general property tax and the municipal services tax, and one without a tax increase.
“With or without the tax increase, the general fund and municipal services fund end up with more expenses than revenue,” said Jensen. “I think the commissioners will need to do some trimming. The department heads won’t get everything they asked for.”
However, some new expenses do come with revenue.
The Tooele County Health Department will take on five school nurses, but the school district will pay for them.
Wendover City will pay the expenses for additional manpower from the Tooele County sheriff’s office, and grants will cover the cost of part-time staff to work at the Benson Gristmill next summer.
But other budget requests aren’t as fortunate. Here are just some that are being considered that are part of the tentative $4.9 million increase:
• The commissioners want to add a secretary and a finance director to their staff. Cost: $180,577
• The county attorney wants an additional attorney for prosecuting criminals. Cost: $85,640
• The information technology department wants to update software and replace old computers that have obsolete operating systems. Cost: $355,769
• The county clerk wants to restore salaries that were cut. Cost: $15,723
• The county assessor wants a part-time person to help at the motor vehicle desk so employees can take lunch breaks and use the restroom.
• Facilities management wants to make improvements to aging facilities before more expensive failures occur. Cost: $455,000
• The parks and recreation department wants to fix a leak in the circulating system at the EnergySolutions Aquatic Center’s pool. Cost: $10,000
• The sheriff’s office wants to hire two new dispatchers. Cost: $118,358
• The county recorder wants to update the 17-year-old county general plan — a task that should be completed every five years. Cost: $40,000
The largest expense increase is $2.3 million for personnel cost of living adjustments, state mandated increases in retirement contributions, and increased health and dental insurance costs for all county employees, according to Jami McCart, Tooele County human resources director.
The $4.9 million increase in the tentative 2015 budget does not include Wendover Airport. The airport’s budget dropped by $4.8 million from $11.4 million in 2014 to $6.6 million for 2015. The decrease is due to a large federal grant that paid for an extension of the airport’s runway in 2014, according to Ron Peterson, Wendover Airport director.
A 5 percent increase in the county’s general property tax would increase the annual property tax bill on the average $150,000 home by $6 per year. A five percent increase in the municipal services property tax would increase the annual property tax bill on a $150,000 home in unincorporated Tooele County by $3.50.
The county general property tax rate was last increased in 2013 by 66 percent. The municipal services tax was adopted in 2014 for the first time. Any proposed property tax increase will need to go through a truth in taxation process, including a public hearing before adoption.
The county commission will hold a public hearing before final adoption of the county budget on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Tooele County Building.