Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson says the county will institute a hiring freeze and slash travel expenses by half in what she called “an incredibly challenging budget” for 2024.
Wilson, who presented her proposed $1.9 billion budget Tuesday morning to the County Council, said a slowdown in tax revenues, persistent inflation, a spike in health care costs, and the end of one-time federal pandemic relief money forced the county to develop a more conservative budget.
“In this budget,” Wilson told the council, “our objective is clear: spend money strategically without compromising the essential services our community relies on.”
Despite having to craft a budget with fewer resources, Wilson said her proposal does not call for any new tax increases.
By cutting the travel budget in half, the mayor said, the county will be able to save about $1 million.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson presents the county budget proposal to the Salt Lake County Council in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023.
The county intends to eliminate vacant positions and pause hiring to prioritize essential roles, the mayor said. If a department wants to make a hire, Wilson later told reporters, the position would need to be reviewed by a committee.
Wilson said this year’s budget request review was the most difficult of her tenure as mayor, adding that 90% of requests were denied in an effort to leave enough money in county coffers to offer employees raises and bonuses.
“I’ll be honest,” the mayor said, “the amount that I’m recommending for employee compensation is far less than I would like.”
Under Wilson’s proposed budget, general employees will receive a 2.75% raise. The county’s lowest-paid employees will receive a one-time 2% bonus, middle-tier employees will receive a 1.5% bonus, and the highest-paid employees will receive a 1% bonus.
While this year’s budget is more conservative than years past, it does include a pair of new proposals that would benefit Salt Lake County kids. Wilson’s proposal calls for eliminating library late fees for children and making a $2 million investment to offer kids free access to county recreation centers.
The council is slated to vote on the budget Dec. 5.
