Come November, voters can choose whether to pay higher property taxes to expand TRAX.

The Salt Lake County Council on Tuesday voted to place an $895 million bond proposal on the November ballot. That money would pay to accelerate the construction of four new light-rail lines, with a total cost to the taxpayer of $108 a year on a $200,000 home.

That's the equivalent of just a few tanks of gas, councilman Jim Bradley said.

"It's worth it," he said. "Give the people the right to choose."

If voters approve the bond, TRAX extensions to West Valley, South Jordan, Draper and the Salt Lake City International Airport could be completed within seven years, said John Inglish, general manager of the Utah Transit Authority. Traffic is congested for commuters across the county, and the four new TRAX lines will help take cars off the road, he said.

Everyone on the council agreed that a property tax is not the best option to fund the TRAX expansion, but it's the only option they have right now. In approving the bond, the council also voted to lobby the Legislature to find another way to fund the expansion, either through a gas-tax or sales-tax increase.

House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said Tuesday that he likely has enough votes in the House of Representatives to approve a sales-tax increase in lieu of the property-tax hike. But the Senate is not on board.

Senate President John Valentine said the biggest problem in allowing a sales-tax increase is that lawmakers just lowered the sales-tax rate for food, so to turn around and raise it is "schizophrenic." Plus, the state has other needs beyond just TRAX that require funding, including water projects, buildings, and roads, he said.

Either way, supporters now have the tough task of convincing the public to vote for a tax increase, Inglish said, and that will require help from groups outside UTA.

Legally, UTA employees cannot advocate for a tax increase to benefit the agency. County mayors have said they will support an educational campaign, but no one group has said they will take the lead — including the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, which is pushing for a sales-tax hike in four counties for mass-transit expansion.

Robin Riggs, vice president and general council for the Chamber, said the business group is "still working on every avenue" to get lawmakers to authorize a sales-tax increase for transit. "We are pursuing that with all due vigor and diligence," he said.

The Utah Taxpayers Association said Tuesday that it has not decided whether to fight the proposed property-tax hike. The group plans to meet with UTA officials during the next week and will then decide its position, said Mike Jerman, vice president of the association.