The Wasatch County School District is proposing to maintain the tax rate for the revenue it received from county property owners last year, meaning that owners whose properties increased in assessed value over the last year will have higher tax bills.
Those who want to discuss the possible change with the district’s board of education can do so Aug. 16 at a Truth in Taxation Hearing scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Wasatch Education Center, located at 101 E 200 N in Heber City
The district’s public information officer, Kirsta Albert, sent a statement to The Park Record regarding the proposed adjustment.
“The State of Utah allows a school district to collect the same amount in taxes that it collected in the previous year, along with any taxes on new growth,” the statement reads. “The school district is proposing to hold the tax rate constant. Because of increased property valuation in the county, this will generate a $14 million revenue increase.”
$7.7 million of the increased revenue is set to be used to pay for utilities and to pay teachers, the statement further explains, with the district planning to use the other $6.3 million for the district’s “capital fund for future school projects.”
Per Utah Code, taxing rates are typically adjusted to ensure taxing entities receive the same amount of revenue each year, though the tax burden can be shifted from different taxpaying groups depending on several market conditions.
The School District’s proposal breaks this pattern and thus requires a Truth in Taxation Hearing where constituents can voice their opinions about the decision to the school board.
After receiving notice of the proposed change, several taxpayers took to the Facebook Group Ask (Heber, UT) to share their opinions. Two individuals posted photos of their preliminary tax notice to show the proposed change would increase their tax bills by about $660 and $850.
“People in this community have no control over the insane property increases and the 40 year high inflation,” Facebook user Patty Sprunt commented on the group. “Wasatch County wants to add to our hurt.”
Speaking with The Park Record, Albert said the revenue increase will be vital in paying teachers and insuring students are provided the same level of education going forward as they have had in the past.
The increased revenue, Albert said, will be crucial in ensuring the district is one of the best districts in the state, and that the money will be used to pay and retain skilled teachers, maintain the districts’ buildings and other vital projects.
“The efforts we’re putting in now from preschool through graduation are going to reap benefits exponentially for our students in their future once they leave Wasatch County School District,” she said. “Our focus is so intensely on the students and their achievement and their experience and making sure that they are becoming contributing members of society who feel connected to their schools.”