A Salt Lake City budget process that most people thought included one property tax increase could have two - costing an average owner of a $70,000 home $20.59 more on next year's property tax bill.
While the idea that Mayor Palmer DePaulis wanted $2.1 million for more police officers has been capturing headlines, City Council members also have been worrying about increasing garbage-collection fees and increasing property taxes for the Salt Lake City Public Library System.Library employees say they are underpaid and want parity with city employees. Two options - one costing $498,000 and another costing $607,181 - have been proposed by the library's board (see chart).
Speaking to the City Council, Dennis Day, the library system's director, said library officials felt it "was an obvious time" to implement a pay increase that would make library employees wages comparable to city employees. The average library employee is paid 12.8 percent less than a city employee in a position of comparable skill and responsibility.
Some council members sounded sympathetic.
"You've taken it in the shorts on the issue of parity," said Councilman Tom Godfrey.
Others sounded concerned as they attempt to balance the bottom line and the public's willingness to pay higher taxes.
Councilwoman Roselyn Kirk said she is worried about all of the proposals that keep "adding on and on" to the tax increase.
Council Chairman Alan Hardman asked Day if there was a possibility of charging user fees for the library. Day and other members of the council balked at such a plan, saying it goes against the philosophy of information access for all people.
Councilwoman Nancy Pace said, "It (user fees) would hurt the people most that can't afford to be hurt."
Day said increased demands for library services also warrant the increase. He showed that the annual circulation has more than doubled in the past decade and Salt Lake City has, by far, the highest library material circulation rate per capita in the region.
The city circulates 10.62 pieces of material each year per capita compared to the next highest western city - Mesa, which circulates 7.85 per capita per year.
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Proposed library budget
The proposed Salt Lake City Library budget would increase property taxes either $498,000 or $607,181 and would cost an owner of a $70,000 home either $3.76 or $4.59 a year more.
- The larger increase would give library employees a 9 percent boost in salaries and a 3 percent cost-of-living raise.
- The smaller increase would give library employees all but the cost-of-living adjustment