SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah -
Thousands of residents and business owners in unincorporated areas of Salt Lake County will be held financially responsible for supporting the county's new Unified Police Department. The Salt Lake County Council approved a $13 million fee to pay for the new police protection in a meeting held by a three-member panel Monday afternoon at the Salt Lake County Government Center. The fees will also be imposed on churches in those unincorporated areas.
The Salt Lake County Council said the fee is necessary since revenue generated from sales tax is not covering the cost of police protection anymore. The council said if they had not imposed the fee, they would have to cut 120 deputies.
"If sales taxes increases, the mayor and i both are committed, we will dollar for dollar try to make the swap in the fee," said Michael Jensen, a county councilmember.
The fees will require a single family homes to pay $174, apartments to pay $186, churches to pay $1,008, and Kennecott to pay $1.3 million year. Each resident of business owner will have to pay the fee in three separate installments. The first bill is expected in February.
"We're grateful when we call them that they respond to the needs that we have," said Rev. Handi Jo Dolloff-Holt of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Kearns, one of the churches affected by the new fees. "It feels like my right, as the leader of the church and our church community, is infringed. We're losing our non-profit status."
America's recession has been blamed for a decline in Salt Lake County's sales tax revenues, and officials say there isn't enough money to cover the costs of police protection. So, a fee for the Unified Police Department was proposed, and homeowners, renters, business owners and non-profit organizations were designated as the groups responsible.
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The Salt Lake County Council said the fee is necessary since revenue generated from sales tax is not covering the cost of police protection anymore. The council said if they had not imposed the fee, they would have to cut 120 deputies.
"If sales taxes increases, the mayor and i both are committed, we will dollar for dollar try to make the swap in the fee," said Michael Jensen, a county councilmember.
The fees will require a single family homes to pay $174, apartments to pay $186, churches to pay $1,008, and Kennecott to pay $1.3 million year. Each resident of business owner will have to pay the fee in three separate installments. The first bill is expected in February.
"We're grateful when we call them that they respond to the needs that we have," said Rev. Handi Jo Dolloff-Holt of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Kearns, one of the churches affected by the new fees. "It feels like my right, as the leader of the church and our church community, is infringed. We're losing our non-profit status."
America's recession has been blamed for a decline in Salt Lake County's sales tax revenues, and officials say there isn't enough money to cover the costs of police protection. So, a fee for the Unified Police Department was proposed, and homeowners, renters, business owners and non-profit organizations were designated as the groups responsible.
SEND US YOUR NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS PICTURES! www.fox13now.com/pics
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! @fox13now
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