Unified Police Department bills land in mailboxes ... and trash cans?

SANDY — When Nancy Workman got a bill in the mail from the Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Service Area, she thought it was junk mail.

The president and chief executive of the Sandy Chamber said she saw the red letters across the top saying it was a bill, but she didn't recognize the California return address.

"I thought, 'I don't have business with anybody in California,' " she said. "So I chucked it in the recycling bin."

But Workman and 45,000 other residents in unincorporated areas of Salt Lake County actually are receiving legitimate bills to fund the Unified Police Department.

The fees are a county effort to fill a $12.6 million budget gap. Under the plan approved by the County Council, those who rely on the county for police services will pay according to use. For most residents, that means roughly $15 a month, while business fees range from $16 a month for construction and manufacturing companies to almost $7,000 monthly for retail "supercenters."

Since the bills were mailed Monday, Councilman Jim Bradley said his office has received several calls asking if the bill was real.

"The bottom line is, yes, those are legitimate bills," Bradley said. "We have warned the public through two mailings to their houses and businesses, as well as great coverage from the media, that these are in the mail and will be coming. People should be skeptical of what they get in the mail, but these are real."

But Workman and 45,000 other residents in unincorporated areas of Salt Lake County actually are receiving legitimate bills to fund the Unified Police Department.

"It's local collection," Bradley said. "This organization simply sends out the bills."

Most residents will receive a $55 bill every four months to cover their portion of the fees, and many may be charged more in late fees if they mistakenly throw the bills away.

"I bet you there's a lot of mail that hits the garbage can, because it doesn't look like anything familiar," Workman said.

e-mail: ashaha@desnews.com