City libraries plan to seek a tax hike

Already saddled with the highest property taxes of any city along the Wasatch Front, Salt Lake City taxpayers may be facing a property tax increase this year.

Tuesday the Salt Lake City Library System will present its proposed annual budget to the City Council and ask for a $1.7 million property tax increase. It would increase property taxes on a $175,000 Salt Lake City home by $12 to $15.

The Salt Lake City Library Board has approved the tax hike, but the City Council has the final say.

"That's a lot of money," said Councilman Eric Jergensen, who has yet to see the library's formal budget.

City residents can blame themselves for much of their high taxes. In 1998 voters approved an $84 million bond to build the new City Library downtown and fund its operation. That bond boosted taxes by roughly $54 yearly on a $150,000 home.

And last year voters similarly approved five bonds for cultural projects that increased taxes on a $175,000 home by $24.

Library Systems director Nancy Tessman hadn't planned on asking for an increase, especially after voters passed the $84 million bond, which was supposed to help cover the Main Library's operating costs.

But flat property tax revenues over the past four years have caused the library's funding to stagnate while costs have continued to increase with inflation.

For instance, from 1995 to 2000, the library's property tax revenues increased from about $7 million to roughly $10.5 million. But from 2000 to the current fiscal year, revenues have hovered between $10.5 million and $10 million.

"It's easy for people to reach the conclusion that it's the new main library (causing the tax increase), but it's not," Tessman said. "Since we got the increase to operate the new main library, all those (property tax) levels have gone down."

Last year the library was in similarly dire budget straits, but instead of asking for a tax increase then, Tessman slashed her materials budget by $500,000, cut 10 positions and did away with merit raises.

If the increase is granted, Tessman would boost spending on books, periodicals and audiovisual materials by $522,388, boost personnel expenditures by $404,637, spend $150,000 to create a computer-aided system that prevents patrons from hogging Internet terminals, spend $145,000 on updating security services and $180,000 for increased heat, power and water costs.

Sans an increase, Tessman said she will cut the hours that various libraries are open, though she would not say if that meant closing permanently on Sundays. Also, Tessman said she would have to lay off another 10 to 15 percent of her 175 employees.

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com