According to the comparison study done by a consultant group, entry-level salaries for county deputies are about 6 percent behind the average, and maximum wages are at least 15 percent lower.

"It costs the county to train and keep these people. Why do we want to be in the business of training officers for other agencies?" Kennard said. "In my mind, that's very short-sighted. I know Corroon is trying not to upset the apple cart with the other mayors."

Although Corroon denied the salary boost, County Councilman Joe Hatch said there is support from several council members to find a compromise instead of granting or rejecting the entire 11 percent request.

Waiting on a solidified police district to boost salaries by any degree seems more like a shirking of duty than any sound policy, Hatch said.

"You always hear in the background, 'Oh we can't do that because it may negatively impact the police district,' " Hatch said. "What happens is we end up abdicating our responsibility to do proper governance pending the outcome of something that's still contingent."

When Hatch took office in 2001, talk of the proposed Unified Fire Authority did not impede immediate compensation and benefit decisions, Hatch added. As the UFA took shape during about three years, Hatch said the council went ahead to make sure they kept their current officers and firefighters happy.

"When somebody says we can't increase these salaries because that may upset our city partners, I just say, 'Wait a minute. We have a responsibility now,' " he said. "We're losing good men and women to other agencies."

Kelvyn Cullimore, mayor of Cottonwood Heights, said he's unsure if a county pay increase would have a direct impact on the police district's plans for its own salary scale. Cullimore, who sits on the district's compensation planning committee, added a county increase may drive up the valley average and force the district to offer a more competitive wage.

"The county certainly has their right to do what they feel they need to do because the Unified Police District is by no means a certainty," Cullimore said.

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E-mail: estewart@desnews.com