Tooele County, Utah, commissioners recently approved a property tax increase that they expect will stave off bankruptcy while saving county employees' jobs and the critical services they provide, KUTV reported yesterday. The 66 percent increase on the property taxes that the county levies will cost the owner of an average $150,000 home $73 more per year and generate $2.6 million annually for the county, according to County Commissioner Shawn Milne. The county has been shaving away at its budget and has laid off about 100 employees over the past year, but without the tax increase, 80 more employees would likely lose their jobs. The county no longer brings in millions from hazardous waste mitigation fees that had been paid by the now-closed Deseret Chemical Depot. The $6.5 million the county subsidized for its Deseret Peaks Activities Complex has also been a drain on its resources.
