Taxes for Stansbury Park residents could jump significantly in the upcoming fiscal year if a 40 to 46 percent property tax increase proposed by the Stansbury Park Service Agency board is approved.

The proposed tax increase would raise greenbelt taxes on a home valued at $212,390 from $112.03 to $163.55, and recreation taxes from $112.15 to $163.55 -- a combined increase of more than $100 per year.

Service agency officials say the increase is necessary to maintain the originally intended park-like atmosphere of Stansbury -- a task that is dependent upon maintaining both new and aging parks, the lake and greenbelt space.

"Parks have fallen into disarray and repairs cannot come from impact fees," said Christy Achziger, chairwoman of the Stansbury Park Service Agency. "Those repairs have to come from tax dollars."

Officials concur that the need to keep up with park maintenance is pressing.

"There is enough failing infrastructure in the park that we could spend every cent of the increase on needed things, not luxuries," service agency trustee Randy Jones said.

Currently, Stansbury Park has 75 acres of park and greenbelt space in need of regular mowing and sprinkler maintenance. Achziger said Tooele City has nearly 85 acres, but the budgeted amount of money used to maintain that space is much more than what Stansbury Park budgets.

Stansbury Park could be looking at a total budget of $880,000 for both greenbelt and recreation next year, should the proposed tax increase be approved.

"We have to make our dollar stretch even further," Achziger said.

The overall greenbelt budget is projected to increase by 74.9 percent and recreation by 74.7 percent from the previous year.

Stansbury Park hasn't had a tax increase in three years. In fact, residents saw taxes decrease with growth in homebuilding making up the difference for the service agency.

"We raised the Mill Levy to the max three years ago," Jones said, adding that because of significant growth in the park since it has dropped from .001400 for greenbelt and .001752 for recreation in 2005 to .000959 and .000960 respectively in 2007.

This year, however, the housing slump has curbed growth in Stansbury.

"Right now you couldn't sell a stick to someone in the park," Jones said. "Nothing is selling."

That slowdown necessitates raising taxes, according to Jones.

"We are going to try to do what's best for the people and the park, and find the right compromise," Jones said.

At a public hearing Wednesday, some residents voiced support for the tax increase, knowing that some of the failing infrastructure in the park could benefit from additional funding. Others however -- especially those on fixed incomes -- were nervous about the increase and the idea that it could be repeated in coming years as well.

"It's painful no matter how we do it," Achziger said, but emphasized that the increase hasn't come without planning.

Like most areas in Tooele County -- both incorporated and unincorporated -- Stansbury has a master plan designed to ensure that the park doesn't bring on additional features that are impossible or unreasonable to fund.

"We paid a lot of money for an engineer to make sure we don't overextend ourselves," Jones said.

Last week's public hearing is the start of several state-mandated hearings and meetings that will be necessary to pass the tax increase. Another hearing will take place in August 2008. Achziger says the final service agency board vote will follow shortly thereafter.

Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com