S.L. County Council gives tentative nod to new budget

Published: Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008 12:49 a.m. MST
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The Salt Lake County Council gave tentative approval Tuesday to a 2009 budget that found an additional $1.5 million in savings on top of Mayor Peter Corroon's fiscal package that had already slashed $11 million from last year's operating expenses.

The nod came after the board weathered another grim revenue report from County Auditor Jeff Hatch. Tax-collection figures continue their downward trend in most areas, and projections indicate that next year's numbers could be even worse. Though Hatch's "worst case" scenario posits a possible $4 million decline next year, he noted that new efforts at federal monetary controls and the changes that may come with President-elect Barack Obama's incoming administration could bode well for the county.

"A new president with new fiscal policy could actually help the county substantially if we see a jobs-creation program," Hatch said. "There's plenty of opportunity in municipal services to re-group, with federal money backing us up."

Hatch said the chaotic and unprecedented nature of local and national economic uncertainty makes fiscal projection modeling — at its best an educated guess — even less reliable. Those projections, for the moment, are indicating an increasing gap between growing county expense obligations and shrinking revenues through 2011.

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The council's added budget savings were mostly accomplished through a re-allocation of fuel funds for the county fleet, an adjustment that could come back to haunt the county if fuel prices return to recent record-high levels.

Final approval for the 2009 budget is slated for Dec. 9.


E-mail: araymond@desnews.com

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