Politics & Government
Utah County holds hearing for anticipated property tax increase
Matt Hemmert | Lehi Free Press
The Utah County Commission held a Truth in Taxation public hearing on August 15 to discuss an increase in Utah County property tax. Utah County is proposing a $7.63 monthly tax increase (or $91.56 annually) on an average home value of $532,000.
“This proposal was not taken lightly,” County Administrator Ezra Nair explained. “One of the big reasons we’re here today is because of inflation. “Inflation affects all of us. We see inflation at the gas pump; when you see it while filling up your personal vehicles, police officers see it when they’re filling up their patrol cars as well.” From 2020 through 2024, the dollar lost one-fifth of its purchasing power, Nair said.
The county has tried to mitigate the property tax increase by trimming budgets. According to Nair, the county has cut $2.5 million from the Utah County Health Department budget, pushed county services to online availability where possible, pushed for operational efficiencies, asked the state to fund or eliminate unfunded mandates, and taken steps to attract new businesses to generate additional sales tax revenue.
Nair said Utah County projects a $12 million general fund budget deficit for 2024. He explained that the deficit is due tohigh growth in the county’s west side, the need to update and upgrade county buildings, inflation affecting the cost of goods and services, and mosquito abatement activities due to someyears of heavy precipitation.
Nair also highlighted public safety needs requiring additional funding, including county prosecution and defense funding, emergency operations, law enforcement, the Children’s Justice Center, and wildland fire equipment.
During the public comment portion of the hearing, residents raised concerns about tax increases at large, wage increases that aren’t commensurate with tax increases, the impact on residents who live on fixed incomes, the taxable value assessed on homes, commissioner salaries, and fiscal responsibility in the budgeting process.
Rather than voting on the property tax increase during the meeting, the county will continue to hold public meetings before adopting a 2025 budget. The next meeting is a scheduled open house on September 26.
The State of Utah requires a taxing entity to hold Truth in Taxation meetings if it intends to collect more tax revenue than the previous year.
