Comments about ‘Salt Lake County plans mailers, open houses to explain police fees’

Councilman Jim Bradley and the other members of the Salt Lake County Council who voted for this "police tax" should be updating their resumes because they'll be handed their walking papers when they're up for re-election.

As a homeowner in Herriman, I understand the police fee well. We pay $25 a month fee for police services. I ask for our city to join the SLValley Police District as soon as possible. I would have an immediate reduction in fee cost of $12.00 a month and receive the same level of services. In a tough economy, this is what we should be doing.

Agreed. This "fee" should be called what it really is a TAX.

Why don't they cut this public relations campaign, and see how much easier it is for residents to accept a less expensive tax?

So what this means is if you are laying on the ground and some body is poking you full of holes with a knife or gun you have to present your Visa Card for them to help you? Or at least prove you have paid the proper fees to the county?

I have to wonder when 911 or the fire department will ask you for your Visa card number when you call them.

Is this the kind of state government we want with Corroon as the governor? Pay taxes for the 'protect and serve' then pay them again to do what they were hired to do? This man will single handedly promote more crime and street justice.

Police should have the budgets cut, along with payroll cuts, just like every other public employee, Now is not the time to raise taxes. Legislators who continue to raid the private sector funds for their own pet causes need to be voted out of office.

I got an email from Michael Jensen in response to a question about this fee. It appears that the fee is a response to the drop in funding for the Municiple Services budget, which apparently is tied into sales tax.

Apparently the county hasn't transfered money from other parts of the county budget to cover the shortfall.

Close an sell off all of the county owned recreation centers. Cut meals on wheels, aging services, government run day care, and other welfare programs. Any Federal Mandate that is unfunded goes out the door. Tell the Feds to pound sand. Fire anyone that is double dipping (including cops). Fire all of the people who are practicing nepotism or are friends of friends. Encourage early retirement of anyone (except cops) that has 25 or more years in. Get rid of unwanted and unneeded government employees. Keep the cars, trucks, firetrucks, etc. longer. Make county employees, except cops, drive their own personal vehicles to and from work. NO takehome cars, or car allowences.

That would save enough money to do away with the fee.

Great idea. But 90% of what you recommend is in the General Fund, property and sales tax and fees paid by everyone in the county; the UPD fee is solely for the unincorporated area to pay for police patrol and is not eligible to use county-wide funds. Municipal Services for the unincorporated area must be paid by the unincorporated residents. PS: There are no take home cars or car allowances and most the unfunded mandates come from the legislature, not the feds. Chill, man.

I think it is stupid for us to pay for county sheriff services when I live here inside the county. the total money being asked for is ridiculous. Howeever if I pay for this service now you work directly for me, therefor when I see a sheriff sitting at 7-11 I will complain, I see a sheriff taking home his car I will be complaining , everytime I see a sheriff not spending my protection fee wisely you can bet your phone will be ringing off the wall. Now back to this great protection fee is not what its called when the mafia charged a protection fee and alot of them went to jail for extortion? I dont need that kind of protection and for the money you want we could hire mercenaries to protect us.

Boycott... no one should pay this fee/tax. This was intentionally labeled to bypass the legal channels of voter approval. Every household that pays this simply makes it easier for our freedoms to be dismissed and trampled all over the next time some greedy public "service" wants to steal from people rather then manage their finances like any business or family would be expected to.

I have been trying to get some numbers from the council to come up with my own figures on the collection and this is what I know as fact calling the mayors office directly and talking to Jon Henington there, and talking with Kerri Nakamura last night in the meeting in Magna. She is Jim Bradley's assistant. the total shortfall is 12.8 million according to them exactly. Not 13 million. Kennecott is on the hook for 1.3 million. There are 40,000 residential homes in this area according to the councils own data. This brings in another 7 million to 7.4 million a year depending on the mix of homes if they are. Traditional or Mobile home. That is 8.3 to 8.7 million of the 12.8 million needed. Then on top of that there are 2,500 businesses in the area once again according to the council's own data with fees ranging from .35 cents per unit for storage sheds to 6826.00 dollars a month on supercenters.

Interesting that they'd call it a fee and not a tax hike. Must be an election year...

What exactly will this fee provide? There's been alot of generalized statements but not actual and tangible facts.

When my car got broken into, I asked if they'd fingerprint, apparently they don't do that here in Salt Lake County. When several cars in my apartment complex got broken into in less than two months, why is it that they didn't even do anything but take our names down and what was stolen?

So what am I really paying for?

When and where are the meetings?

I support all the comments. I agree this is not a fee it's a tax and it will not be revoked rather it will be increased no matter how. The income tax of 3% was created to support the Civil War. It too was created as a temporary fix. Over one-hundred and fifty years later it has increased by quite a bit. I don't recall being given a choice in this matter. of the "police fee". Last time I checked this country I think it's still a republic. $100,000 in funds to address the public of this matter what a waste. why don't we call a boycott. What is going to be the next fee; an ATM to use the public parks and sidewalks?

Not only is it a tax it is a regressive tax. The tax should be based on the property values.

they said they were going to send out information's on this as early as february well we just got ours no one in our neighborhood knew about it till today if it was in the paper it must have been hidden somewhere I keep my papers for recycling and I can't find any notice of it anywhere way to go SLC county and just to know the bill they sent doesn't look official at all I thought it was a scam at first I guess in reality it is a scam not fair at all especially when I look at my tax's on my house and they've actually gone up???

I'll tell you how to fix this issue.....sell your mustangs, harley davidsons and use that money...I can't believe this? Who passed this? Who had the say? Obviously not the people???? So cops you better step it up if am paying your salary. If my car gets broken into, no more waiting 3 hours for a cop.....

I say BOYCOTT the fee. This is just the so called foot-in-the-door. If we don't stop it now, SLC County will continue to add fees in the future. SLC County Leaders need to tighten their belts like everyone else. The top 500 County employees make $70,000+ a year. The top five make 146,000 to 158,000 a year. WT Heck is up with that? How many of us get to have such a cushy deal of a job? BOYCOTT the tax, make SLC County live within it's budget!!!!

Stop supporting business outside your own community our tax dollars are helping everyone else but ourselves. maybe kearns magna and other area should incorparate into these other city