S.L. holds line on taxes

It was like the last day of school Thursday in the Salt Lake City Council chambers: Council members cracked jokes, traded good-natured smiles and even ended early — all rewards for the close of budget season.

After countless hours of meetings and negotiations, the council passed its $190 million general budget and more than $210 million in other department budgets Thursday night. In the end, the council discarded several of Mayor Rocky Anderson's suggestions, including his proposal to raise property taxes to pay for new police officers.

The city will get more officers but without the $940,000 property-tax increase Anderson wanted. Instead, the council shifted money around and funded three new officers, one sergeant, two crime lab technicians and two civilians spots within the department that will free the officers currently staffing those positions.

Police Chief Chris Burbank said he was glad for the new officers, even if the numbers didn't match the original proposal.

The council is "taking very seriously the police department and some of the challenges that we face," Burbank said. "I know that it doesn't sound like a huge number, three officers and that, but it goes a long ways, and we can position those officers in areas that really need that extra support."

Anderson had proposed 44 new positions throughout the city departments, and the council agreed upon 21.75, including the officers, new city planners and a new city prosecutor. Anderson, who was out of the country at a Rotary convention, did not respond personally to e-mail seeking comment.

"The mayor believes the sole policy objective evident in the City Council's budget was balancing the budget provided by the administration, without raising property taxes," said Patrick Thronson, Anderson's spokesman. "The document reflects little policy-oriented considerations about the future of our city, and simply defers difficult decisions to another budget year."

The City Council spent several meetings deliberating the take-home car policy for the city, which primarily affects police officers. The council decided to change the policy to allow cars for employees who live within 35 miles of the intersection of I-80 and Redwood Road, the city's geographical center. The employees will have to reimburse the city based on how far they live from that intersection, with the employees who live farthest paying about $56 every two weeks.