Farm a family legacy
page 9 August 20, 2021 | Vol. 2 Iss. 34
Bountiful Council raises property taxes by $950K By Tom Haraldsen tom.h@davisjournal.com BOUNTIFUL—Following a threeplus hour Truth in Taxation hearing on Aug. 10, Bountiful City Council members voted to approve a property tax rate increase and subsequent new budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22. The new budget results in a $950,000 increase in property taxes, which the city will allocate to its General Fund for existing services and to maintain the city’s cash reserve funds. Three new full-time employees are budgeted for this fiscal year – two in the parks department and one in information technology. The budget also adds 3.75 percent for inflationary protection over the next year. The tax increase means a property tax increase of $5.17 per month or $62 a year for a home with an assessed value of $434,000, the average for a home in Bountiful. It wasn’t an issue that everyone on the council agreed with. Council member Kendalyn Harris voted against Ordinance
2021-09, which adopted the budget that contained a property tax amount of $3,551,839 and set the real property tax rate at 0.000967. That compares to the fiscal year 2020-21 rate of 0.000789. That is a 37 percent increase from the current tax amount, something city leaders said was necessary to maintain the city’s “pay as you go” fiscal policies. Harris had stated in previous council discussions on possible budget scenarios that she preferred a more gradual increase in the tax rate, with subsequent increases in future years. “I do believe that we need three more employees,” she said. “I would like to propose 15 percent rather than 37 percent where we can still cover the salaries for those three employees. I think it’s a little more helpful to look at (the budget) every year, when we’re closer and can better predict the trajectory.” Others disagreed. Council member Millie Segura Bahr countered, saying “we’ve been talking about this for months. We go through this budget line by line. I wish all of our budget meetings were
$1.50
BOUNTIFUL RESIDENTS spoke up to city council members with questions and suggestions during the hearing. Photo by Tom Haraldsen
as well attended as this one tonight. The responsible thing for us to do is to put our city in a good position moving forward rather than kicking the can down
the road.” She voted in favor of the new budget, joining council members Richard Please see TAXES: pg. 4
SDMF adopts new tax rate, lowers increase for residents By Becky Ginos becky.g@davisjournal.com BOUNTIFUL—Following a Truth in Taxation hearing on Aug. 2 on a proposed tax increase for the South Davis Metro Fire Service Area, the Governing Board voted on Monday to adopt a new tax rate together with an increase in each agencies’ respective assessments of 10 percent. The change will lower the residents’ tax burden. “The original tax rate of 0.000620
was lowered to 0.000585,” said Ken Leetham, Administrative Committee Chair. “That shifts the difference to the cities that make up the district. The citizens will be happier that they’ll pay less than what was published.” The Service Area is facing significant barriers to funding its operations without additional revenues through a property tax increase, Leetham said in a letter to the Board. “Our Board of City Managers made the recommendation to change the tax rate and they voted to
follow that. The Service Area will still be funded as proposed in the original budget.” The property tax increase would cover: • Debt service • The costs of 24 full-time employees which greatly enhanced the Area’s collective level of service • Annual funding of the multi-year capital equipment plan It is also intended to cover 100 percent of the costs of the three existing
paramedic units because of the changes made to the countywide paramedic services, said Leetham. “This rate accounts for the elimination of the county’s paramedic tax and the annual payment from the county to the Service Area related to paramedics.” “We could have a Truth in Taxation every year to make an incremental increase,” said North Salt Lake Mayor and Board Chair Len Arave. “I’m in favor of Please see INCREASE: pg. 9