Still, the City Council hasn't shied away from property tax increases in the past. Last year the council approved a $1.5 million hike to fund the city's library system. The hike boosted annual taxes on a $175,000 home by roughly $11.50, and on a $2 million business by about $230.

Last year the Salt Lake City School District and the Mosquito Abatement District both raised their respective shares of property owners' tax bills as well.

In 2003, the City Council approved putting six items on a municipal bond election. Voters approved five of those items, thus agreeing to a potential tax hike of $21.50 on an average $175,000 home if all five bonds were issued.

Salt Lake City already has the highest municipal property tax rate of any Wasatch Front city. The city's tax rate of .005540 is followed by Ogden's .004161 rate. Of Salt Lake County cities West Jordan has the second highest rate at .002695, less than half the city's tax rate, according to data supplied by the Utah Taxpayers Association.

The city's high taxes are strange, especially since it hasn't seen any dramatic population increases in recent years like other Wasatch Front cities. Also, the city has a huge property tax and sales tax base when compared to other cities, association vice president Mike Jerman said

While Salt Lake City's taxes are high, city residents and businesses don't pay the highest overall property taxes along the Wasatch Front because the city school district's taxes are low compared with other districts.

However, for the same reasons the school district's taxes are low — little growth and large sales and property tax bases — the city's rate should be low as well, Jerman said.

Police Chief Rick Dinse told the City Council earlier this year that he needs more officers to handle growing caseloads.

In 2003 each Salt Lake police officer handled an average of 551 cases. Last year that figure rose to 559.

While that number is below the record 630 cases each officer handled in 1998, it's a much larger caseload than Salt Lake City officers experienced in the early 1990s. Back then, officers handled roughly 400 cases a year.

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com