Local News
Utah County Auditor’s office errors to boost property tax bills in some Utah County cities
Rob Shelton | Lehi Free Press
Utah County officials were stunned by a $970 million counting mistake affecting about ten different cities or other taxing entities in the county.
Some Utah County residents may face higher property tax bills after the County Auditor’s Office discovered the troubling error that counted specific property values twice this year.
The mistake is not expected to affect American Fork property owners, according to early estimates. But Lehi residents could see roughly $10 added to their average home’s property tax bill this year.
Provo City taxpayers will bear the brunt of the error. Provo accounts for $530 million of the miscounted property values.
Each year in June, the Utah County Auditor’s Office provides the certified tax rate to cities and other property tax entities. Since state law requires taxing entities to collect the same dollar value of revenue as in the prior year, the certified tax rate is adjusted based on several factors.
The only way a taxing entity can collect more revenue than in the previous year is through a truth-in-taxation process. This process protects the taxpayer from paying more in years when property values increase.
The Utah County Auditor is an independently elected office, and is separate from other county elected offices.
“The Commission is deeply disappointed by this error and finds it unacceptable,” Utah County commissioners said in a social media post released Saturday. “This situation undermines transparency, accountability and public trust in all county operations.”
The commissioners didn’t learn about the Auditor’s mistake until recently, weeks after the July tax notices were mailed, showing incorrect values.
Utah County Auditor Rod Mann now faces three options to remedy the issue. Cities, school districts or other taxing entities are not allowed to make decisions to solve the problem.
Three solutions on the table
Option one would delay any tax increase until next year, allowing cities and taxing entities to use their financial reserves to cover this year’s shortfall. Property owners wouldn’t see immediate increases but face consecutive years of tax increases to make up the shortfall.
Option two involves sending corrected tax notices before the November payment deadline. There is a cost to resending those notices. If the costs exceed the approved budget for the Auditor’s office, the County Commission would need to approve and make budget adjustments.
Option 3 splits the difference. The county would collect part of the money through corrected notices, while the taxing entries cover the shortfall from financial reserves, with future tax increases needed.
Similar errors have plagued other counties in Utah in the past.
Wasatch County made headlines in 2019 when officials overvalued a single 1,570-square-foot home by nearly $1 billion.The mistake created a $4.4 million shortfall for Wasatch County School District.
Tooele County faced a similar crisis in 2023 when centrally assessed properties — including mines, utilities, and railroads — were counted twice, resulting in a $5.1 million shortfall for the Tooele County School District.
Utah also discovered a statewide miscalculation in 2014 that left property owners undertaxed by more than $100 million since 2006. That error involved new growth calculations by redevelopment agencies.
What happens next
Utah County Commission is working to prevent future errors while managing the fallout from this year’s errors. Commissioners are collaborating with the Auditor’s office regarding safeguards and studying the options for affected taxpayers.
The County Auditor will make the final decision on which option to pursue. Property owners will wait and see how much their bills might increase.
For residents with questions about their property tax impact, contact the Utah County Auditor’s Office at 801-851-8110 or visit the County offices at 111 S. University Ave. in Provo.
