S.L. County Council tells departments to plan for budget cuts

With just a few weeks remaining before Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon submits next year's budget, county auditor Jeff Hatch presented a sobering update of declining sales-tax revenues that elicited a prompt reaction from the Republican-controlled body.

Following the news that revenues from sales tax are tracking to come in $3.2 million short of the expected $77.7 million for this year, the council voted to ask county department heads to recalculate their upcoming budget proposals to reflect reductions of 5 percent and 10 percent over the current year. The new numbers, which the individual agencies are not required to submit, would function as a tool for the council to utilize in its forthcoming review of Corroon's proposed 2009 budget. The new budget will go into effect on Jan. 1.

The discussion of how much utility these reports may have split the board along party lines. Democratic Councilman Jim Bradley discounted the usefulness of the request.

"The mayor presents a budget that we either accept, amend or reject," Bradley said. "The budget will be presented for us to react to ... that's what the process requires and demands."

Councilman Mark Crockett, a Republican whose motion ignited the debate, argued that the information was necessary to tackle the challenge of the upcoming budget evaluation at a time of economic turbulence in "possibly the hardest year we've had" as a council.

"We're the legislative budgeting body of this county," Crockett said. "I would ask that we request some downsizing in the thinking on budgets that are proposed to us."

Crockett's motion asked for budget adjustments.

Councilwoman Jenny Wilson sided with her fellow Democrats on the board.

"I don't mind the concept ... the encouragement to programs to look at their budgets," Wilson said. "But ... in the form of a motion I think we're undermining the process."

Wilson contended, along with other Democrats on the council, that Corroon would certainly be crafting a budget that acknowledges current economic stagnation, and Doug Willmore, the mayor's chief administrative officer, confirmed that belief after the council voted 5-4 along party lines to make the request.

"We've been working with full knowledge of budget reductions," Willmore said.

Willmore said Corroon's budget, due to the council by Oct. 28, likely will reflect a no-change or slight reduction compared to last year. He also noted that the council's request of new budget numbers would have no effect on the mayor's budget process, which has been under way for months.

Hatch noted Wednesday that the money collected via sales tax represents only about 30 percent of the county's overall revenue stream and is second in volume to property-tax collections, which he estimated would be up about 3 percent over the current year.

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