Salt Lake County residents could know as soon as January whether money from a quarter-cent sales-tax hike approved in November will fund new rail lines, roads or a mix.

Members of the Legislature's Executive Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved a process that the county will use to select which projects get funding. The lawmakers made three changes to the county's process, but county leaders said that they were "OK" with the adjustments.

One amendment changed the methodology that county leaders will use to rank and prioritize projects to be funded. The second change requires that the cost of a project be weighed with the safety of a project.

The third change calls for the cost-effectiveness of a project to receive a greater weight in the process used to pick what projects will be funded. By giving cost-effectiveness a greater weight, different road or transit projects could rise to the top of the list to be funded than what county leaders had anticipated before the process was changed.

The first two changes were "insignificant," according to West Valley Mayor Dennis Nordfelt. The third change was more significant, he said, but it won't hold up the process of picking projects. County leaders will still have the option of shuffling the order of which projects get funded, whether roads or transit.

"I'm pleased," Nordfelt said after the meeting. "I think we got what we needed today. We did end up with a process, and it is a process I think will be acceptable. Now, the next step is to get the Salt Lake County Council to do what they need to do to impose the tax."

The council is planning to meet Tuesday to declare its intent to impose the tax increase. In January, county mayors and the council are scheduled to meet to approve the changes by lawmakers, pick the projects and likely impose the tax.

During the appropriations meeting, lawmakers dished out criticism to members of the County Council, specifically councilman Joe Hatch, for politicizing the issue of picking projects. Hatch has accused the Legislature of delaying approval of the process for political gain.

He has also threatened to not impose the tax if he's not comfortable with what projects are funded. Hatch has said that he wants transit, and particularly the airport TRAX line, to receive funding.

"I know that we've been accused, partly by councilman Hatch, of playing politics on this," said Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, during Wednes- day's meeting. "Frankly, I'm frustrated. He's never been up here, yet he continues to make accusations."

Hatch, after the meeting, responded: "If it helps them to get to the right point by beating up on me, please do. Beat me up, verbally abuse me. Do whatever they feel is appropriate, if it gives them the kind of political cover they need to do the right thing."

If Salt Lake County leaders approve the changes in January, they do not have to return to the Legislature for approval. Nordfelt said that he doesn't anticipate that county leaders will have any issues with the changes.

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Contributing: Leigh Dethman

E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com