South Salt Lake council delays vote on FY2026–27 budget after debate over public-safety levy and employee raises

South Salt Lake Mayor Wood presented a proposed FY2026–27 budget Wednesday that assumes flat revenues, $11.7 million in cuts, and a package of targeted fee increases to preserve services. The proposal includes an increase to the public-safety service fund that Mayor Wood said "represents an increase of approximately $7 a month for the average homeowner" and small increases to garbage and sewer fees. "The total monthly increase for all utility fees is about $10 a month for the average single family home," the mayor said.

The budget package also recommends a mix of a citywide cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and merit increases — described in the meeting as 3% COLA plus a separate 3% merit for nonsworn employees and 4% merit steps for sworn public-safety staff — while passing along higher health-insurance premiums that the mayor said will increase family-plan costs by about $100 per month.

Council members pressed for more detail on how raises and higher premiums would affect staff pay and retirement. "I think since we're in such like dire straits right now as a government... we should... not get colas this year," Council Member Nick said, urging the council to consider suspending COLA. Several other council members, including Charlotte, warned that altering merit pay could harm recruitment and long-term retirement for public employees. "I am adamantly opposed to looking at playing around with the merit at all," Charlotte said.

Council members also asked for comparative data from nearby cities on what other jurisdictions have proposed or adopted for pay and benefits. Staff said a contracted cost-of-services study will start this year to analyze fees and that follow-up materials — including a breakdown of the budget impacts of any percentage change in COLA or merit — would be provided to the council.

The council opened a public hearing on the budget and heard three residents raise questions about a $700,000 FY27 water utility capital line item for the 1300 East tanks and whether it would fund fencing or site work at a city-owned parcel abutting private property. "That does include the south boundary fence and some vault work and a vault design," Public Works Director Craig Jaws told the council.

Given ongoing questions and the need for additional data from staff and the county on certain tax-rate numbers, the council voted to move final action on the budget and related tax-rate ordinances to the June 17 meeting.

Next steps: council staff will supply the requested breakdowns (including the estimated savings of a 1% change to COLA, comparative market data, and clearer line-item descriptions) prior to the June 17 meeting, when the council expects to take final votes.