Safety bond gains support

That view isn't shared by all county officials, including Mayor Peter Corroon and Sheriff Jim Winder, who have voiced their support for the bond.

"With regards to interagency cooperation and operability, I can assure you that conversations have been going on and will continue between Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County," Winder said. "There is simply no reason not to move ahead on Proposition 1."

The Salt Lake Chamber's board of directors also expressed concern over the bond's price tag and recently released a statement saying costs and needs for police and fire facilities need more explanation.

Restaurateur Tom Guinney said those concerns have been addressed by the City Council's creation of a public/private advisory committee, which will allow public input into how bond funds are spent.

The Salt Lake City Council, which voted unanimously to put the bond on the ballot, will have the final say on how the bond money is appropriated.

"A yes vote does not obligate us to spend the entire approved amount of $192 million," City Councilman Eric Jergensen said. "What it does, however, is allow us to move decisively, efficiently and effectively forward ... to finalize a set of public safety facilities that will assure that each tax dollar is spent wisely or, frankly, not spent at all."

Councilwoman Jill Remington Love said the council has conducted "exhaustive analysis" of the city's public safety needs and possible solutions. Acquiring property for the public safety complex and other facilities has kept the bond issue from being placed on the ballot before now, Love said.

"We've come to the point where we can't even wait for that," she said. "We have to go ahead and get the funding, and then we'll find the site."

The Utah Taxpayers Association also has come out in opposition to the bond, with Royce Van Tassell, the nonprofit organization's vice president, calling it a "Christmas wish list of projects instead of asking for an meeting the absolute real needs."

"Instead of asking taxpayers to pony-up for one of the largest bonds in Salt Lake's history, maybe they should do some housecleaning and make sure their management can handle these problems as they come up in the future," Van Tassell said.

It's expected that the public safety complex would be built in or near downtown. A site has not been announced, but negotiations for property are under way.

The Glendale fire station and training center would be built at the existing location of station No. 14 at 1560 S. Industrial Road. The combined police/fire station in Sugar House is proposed for the southeast corner of Fairmont Park. That facility would replace fire station No. 3 at 1085 E. Simpson Ave.

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Contributing: Amelia Nielson-Stowell
E-mail: jpage@desnews.com