Taylorsville hits 10-year mark

TAYLORSVILLE — On July 1, 1996, a new city was born. The Taylorsville-Bennion area had incorporated, supported by a whopping 70.5 percent of voters, after three failed attempts to become a city.

Taylorsville, population 55,000, became the county's 13th city and the state's seventh largest.

Ten years, three mayors and one property-tax increase later, the city now has three new parks, its own police force and 5,000 additional residents. Taylorsville is celebrating its birthday today, and it has plans to keep growing.

"The city is at a crossroads now," Mayor Russ Wall said. "We're looking to go in a direction of economic development, more community pride."

Wall took office in January, taking the place of Janice Auger, who had served eight years as mayor and had previously been one of the original members of the City Council. While Auger touts progress the city has made, her biggest praise is for the residents.

"It's a community of a lot of people who get involved and care," she said.

LaVelle Prince, the city's first mayor, said voluntarism has especially benefited the city's pocketbook. Making use of volunteers, the city managed to operate on a pay-as-you-go basis year after year, and just this month approved its first property-tax increase — a hike of 15 percent.

The new budget, which goes into effect today, includes a new monthly fee for stormwater drains and utility franchise taxes. The city also plans to bond for the first time, for several infrastructure improvement projects.

Wall said the budget does not represent a new tax-and-spend philosophy for the city but comes after years of cutting corners — an era that couldn't last forever.

"You put off a project because you didn't have the money for it, saying, 'Maybe it will get better next year,' " Wall said. "A good number of those projects are now no longer 'We'd like to do them' but 'We have to do them.' "

Prince and Auger agree that the timing of the increases doesn't point to an expensive change under Wall's administration.

"I think (the tax hike) was inevitable," Prince said. "I'm surprised that it lasted this long."

The frugality has prevented such projects as a system-wide revamping of stormwater drains, Auger said. City engineers warn that the system is dangerously close to failing.