There’s an old street scam where a fast-talking hustler moves three shells around a table, convincing unsuspecting onlookers they can guess where the pea is hidden. No matter how sharp your eyes, the result is always the same — you lose.
Summit County government has mastered its special version of this game, only instead of a pea, it’s our tax dollars disappearing before our eyes. Every year, the County Council brags that they haven’t raised property taxes, yet when we open our tax bills we see a familiar story — higher taxes.
How does this happen? Simple. The county shifts money around to make it look like they’re keeping your costs low while pushing tax increases to other entities.
One of the latest examples of this sleight of hand is the so-called Emergency Services Sales Tax. When this was passed, it was supposed to generate more revenue for essential services such as emergency medical services, search and rescue operations, law enforcement, fire protection, and solid waste collection.
But here’s the catch — the county did not increase funding for North or South Summit fire districts. Instead, the county used those funds to cover existing services, leaving fire and EMS services exactly where they started: underfunded. The shell game continues.
Let’s break down another trick: the way property taxes are structured. County councilors tout they haven’t raised the County General Fund tax rate and that is correct, but that is not the complete story.
In 2024 the General Fund part of our property taxes was only about 9% of what we pay. Take a careful look at your tax bill. Whether you live in Wanship, Snyderville, Kamas —the county’s general fund remains stable, even when your property is reassessed, but tax increases from service districts, schools, and other local entities pushed increase over 30% in just one year.
And who oversees most of those service districts? You guessed it — Summit County Council. They keep their hands clean while shifting costs onto smaller entities, which then have to increase their respective budgets and tax rates.
Now, the county has introduced another brilliant revenue-shifting idea: turning the County Attorney’s Office into a fee-for-service department. A new agreement, currently circulating at service districts, proposes charging $350 per hour payable to the county for legal services. Are these services worth $350 an hour? Yes, and on the open market, probably more.
To be fair, Utah Code §17D-1-103(4)(a) says that districts “shall reimburse the county or municipality a reasonable amount for what the special service district uses.” Let me repeat that reimburse a reasonable rate, not a market rate. Based on the salary and benefits of the attorneys in the office, the reimbursable rate would be around $110 per hour.
What if the special service district does not want to pay the $350 per hour? The message from the County Attorney’s Office: Pay up or “go to the market” for legal counsel. But this isn’t just about cost — it’s about unnecessary government complexity that will ultimately make everything more expensive.
If this mutual aid agreement goes into effect, special districts’ only option is to increase budgets and, in turn, taxes. And let’s not forget the bureaucratic mess this will create. The County Attorney’s Office will need to implement time-tracking software, invoice departments and chase payments. Meanwhile, every affected district and service department will have to approve the invoices, process payables, and issue checks.
This isn’t just shifting dollars. It’s inefficient governance that adds needless administrative overhead — all of which is paid for by us, the taxpayers.
And what happens if a district like North Summit Fire tries to save money by skipping legal review? The risk of costly mistakes skyrockets. One poorly handled contract or lawsuit could cost taxpayers far more than the county hopes to collect in fees. It’s a lose-lose scenario for the public, but a win for Summit County’s balance sheet.
This is the problem with governing by smoke and mirrors. The County Council can sit in their chamber and declare, “We didn’t raise property taxes,” while knowing full well that they’ve engineered a system where the result is the same — you pay more.
It’s time for Summit County to stop playing games with our money. We deserve honest budgeting, not a magic act designed to keep taxpayers in the dark.
So next time you hear a politician boasting about holding the line on taxes, check your bill. The truth, as always, is hidden under the shell they don’t want you to look under.
Ari Ioannides is a recovering tech entrepreneur, founder of BootUP PD, and serves on local government and nonprofit boards. He offers a conservative perspective on local politics. He can be reached at [email protected]