Wasatch County taxpayers will have the opportunity to speak their minds about next year’s potential tax increase of cents on every $700,000 of assessed property value to public officials at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6. The meeting will take place in the County Administration Building, and people are also welcome to participate via a Zoom webinar.
The two taxing entities hoping Wasatch County Councilors will allow them to collect a higher revenue next year are listed as the county’s parks and recreation department and library.
Though a third taxing entity is also included and listed as Wasatch County’s general fund, County Manager Dustin Grabau said the third potential raise was put into place when the council wasn’t sure if taxes would need to be raised for the general fund, but they have since decided it will not be necessary.
According to information in the public hearing’s meeting packet, the three changes would raise taxes so an individual with a property worth $719,040 next year will pay $60.40 cents more than they would this year.
County Manager Dustin Grabau explained to council members during their Nov. 8 meeting that no matter how high or low existing property values go, taxing entities in Utah are not entitled to any additional or any less revenue than they received the prior year.
Hypothetically, a homeowner could see their property value double and, because of Truth In Taxation, their tax rate would halve so they would pay the same amount of property taxes.
In order for that to change, an ordinance must be passed by the legislative authority of whatever taxing entity wants an increase. For Wasatch County, that’s the County Council.
For 2023, Grabau explained, no such ordinances were passed.
In order for next year’s draft budget to become next year’s budget, that will need to change. While last year’s budget was about $54.6 million, next year’s is proposed to be just over $75 million.
According to Assistant Wasatch County Manager Heber Lefgren, about $4.6 million are to go to internal services, $12.9 million to capital improvement funds, $14.3 million to special revenue funds, $1 million to debt service funds and $37.9 million to the county’s general fund.
Grabau specified that the $20.4 million increase in the county budget is not primarily made up of the proposed increased property taxes.
“$400,000 of that increase will come from the property tax increase,” he said. “But that’s $400,000 of everything else.”
The majority of the increased budget, he said, will go toward an addition on the courthouse. The project is predicted to cost $16 million, and the state will pay half.
The remainder of the increase is from wage studies meant to ensure the county pays its employees competitively to retain them.
On social media and in previous public hearings, property taxpayers have widely voiced their disapproval of tax increases over recent years.
“Three of the last four years, my taxes have gone up … the highest amount 250%,” former Wasatch County Executive Mike David said to the council Oct. 18. “That is not sustainable.”