Corroon budget earmarks millions for pet projects

Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon took his first crack at the county's budget Tuesday, earmarking millions for pet projects such as alternatives to incarceration and safer sidewalks while chopping budget requests across the board.

Corroon's budget doesn't include a tax increase but taps county reserves for $50 million to offset rising fuel costs and health-care premiums. A portion also underwrites some proposed initiatives.

The fund balances will hover above minimum requirements to keep the county's AAA bond rating, reducing the general fund to about $34 million from $40 million. Keeping the reserve intact is a major concern for Corroon, whose administration wants to stave off tax increases for another five years.

Siphoning from reserves will become problematic in about three years at the current rate, Chief Financial Officer Linda Hamilton said.

"The budget we are submitting is this year's blueprint of how we are meeting those competing needs with the resources available — without raising taxes," Corroon said. "The needs are always infinite and the resources are always finite."

The mayor's budget proposals include several new initiatives:

• $2.2 million for a substance abuse and mental health program designed to alleviate overcrowding in the county jail;

• $1 million for a safer sidewalks project for nine sidewalks projects;

• $1 million for environmental concerns, including open space designation;

• $300,000 for Jordan River cleanup.

"The first priority in the budget is protecting our quality of life by planning for the future," Corroon said. "As Salt Lake County continues to grow, we cannot sacrifice our quality of life and our environment for the sake of growth."

Corroon also wants to put $280,000 toward planning on the West Bench area of the county, with two new long-range planners and master plan consultants.

The mayor's budget also calls for stronger fiscal responsibility, an issue that has plagued the county in the past year with incidents of mismanagement of funds by division leaders, falsified time cards and overtime fraud.

Corroon set aside roughly $240,000 for new personnel to equip several divisions like solid waste and recreation with their own fiscal administrator.