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- Salt Lake County Council approved a $2 billion budget for the next fiscal year.
- Mayor Jenny Wilson highlighted inflation challenges but emphasized fiscal responsibility and no tax increase.
- Republican Dave Alvord opposed due to what he said were insufficient spending cuts and reduced policy advisers for the council.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake County Council approved a more than $2 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year, even as Mayor Jenny Wilson described a "challenging" budgetary environment due to inflation pressures.
Wilson requested funds to provide raises to county employees, to continue providing free access to the county's recreation centers for kids, and to continue improving the county's human services, homelessness and criminal justice action plan.
Voters last month rejected a $507 million bond proposed by council members that would have helped the county build 812 new beds at the county jail, expand mental health treatment options and create a unit to help people rejoin society after being incarcerated.
"I am pleased to share that Salt Lake County has passed another bipartisan, balanced budget," Wilson announced after the vote Tuesday. "Limited revenues and inflation have impacted everyone in the county — from individuals and families to businesses and government entities. Working collaboratively and intentionally, we were able to fund county programs without a tax increase."
She went on to say the budget "reflects fiscal responsibility and good use of taxpayer dollars" that "ensures we can continue to offer essential and much-appreciated programs while simultaneously fairly compensating our employees."
This year's budget also provides $15 million from the county's Tourism, Recreation, Culture and Convention Support Program for the development of a regional arts center in South Jordan, which is scheduled to open in early 2028. The Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation pledged $25 million of financial support and three acres of land in Daybreak for the project.
The budget passed nearly unanimously, with Republican Councilman Dave Alvord opposed — in part because he said the budget didn't make enough cuts to spending. The bigger issue for Alvord, however, was a provision that reduced the number of policy advisers assigned to the council.
The county currently employs one adviser for each of the council's nine members, but a proposal from Republican Aimee Winder Newton will reduce that to five advisers who will be allocated across the council.
The cut is projected to save the county $450,000 in salary, but opponents have said the move is targeted toward particular advisers and that it would concentrate power among longer-serving members.
"If some combination had been agreed upon," Alvord said of negotiations on overall spending cuts, "that could have gotten me to a 'yes' on this budget. But the line that was too far for me in this budget was the elimination of some senior policy advisers to the council. I found my policy advisers to be invaluable and have actually helped me serve my district better. I think cutting those positions is destructive to the county and a line too far, and because of that and the failure for us to find enough cuts in this budget, I'll be voting no today."
Winder Newton, who proposed the staff cuts, noted that her proposal passed 6-2 and said it helps make the county government more efficient in how it spends taxpayer money.
"There are no other part-time state, county or city elected officials who get to hire their own full-time employee," she told KSL.com. "Paying nine advisers each a six-figure salary is not as effective or efficient as moving to a central staff model. In addition to these nine advisers, the council has six other employees who provided fiscal management, legal advice and communications assistance. For years the council has cut back on the mayor's staff and asked other departments and offices to do more with less. It's time we do the same."
