Investing $15 million in jobs at Hill Air Force Base could save the state many millions more in the future.

That was the message delivered to legislators by Davis and Weber county leaders when trying to sell a two-year, multimillion-dollar appropriation that would be used to try to lure more work to Hill. It would also improve its chances with the Base Review and Closure committee, which is expected to announce a new round of closures this year.

While it won't guarantee that the base will stay open, Layton Mayor Jerry Stevenson said that it will definitely help.

"Anyone who thinks that Hill is not susceptible to closure is wrong," he said. "It's very important that we do what we can. We need to demonstrate our support for the base."

The $15 million in appropriations would be authorized by SB141, which unanimously passed the Senate Workforce Services and Community and Economic Development Committee Thursday. It would be used to promote economic development on military bases, said sponsoring Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse. The first $5 million would be given to the Department of Community and Economic Development to invest this fiscal year, with an additional $10 million given to the department when the next fiscal year begins July 1.

Killpack said the additional money would only be distributed if a tangible benefit could be proven from the first distribution. He expected, however, that the benefits would not only be impressive, but ongoing, as the new jobs bring new tax revenue in the state that far exceeds the initial investment.

"There are a lot of programs where we can speculate about the influx of dollars after it's spent," he said. "But these are dollars that will be recouped."

The money will be used to purchase new equipment or upgrade aging equipment that would draw more work to Hill, such as the manufacturing of parts or the testing of new technology. Currently, much of the work that Hill would seek is being done by private contractors in other states, said Rick Mayfield, executive director of the Utah Defense Alliance, which works to build partnerships and promote economic development on Utah's military facilities.

The first investment will be in equipment to manufacture bushings for Air Force planes, which are currently being made by Honeywell at its Phoenix-based plant. The work was originally intended to come to Hill after the last round BRAC closings in 1998, but the base was not adequately equipped.

"This gives us the opportunity to immediately announce a partnership," Mayfield said. "This will help immensely in the BRAC process."

But no matter how much money the Legislature pumps into the base, the committee will not be bribed by local politicians, said former U.S. Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, who is a likely candidate for the nine-member panel.

"I have to do what's best for the military," Hansen said. "I'm not going there as an advocate of the state of Utah or Hill Air Force Base."

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E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com