OCTOBER 2021
FREQUENTLY REQUESTED NUMBERS Attorney .................................. 801-264-2640 Business Licensing .................. 801-270-2432 Cemetery ................................ 801-264-2637 City Council ............................. 801-264-2603 Finance Department ............... 801-264-2513 FIRE DEPARTMENT Administrative Office .......... 801-264-2781 Non-Emergency Calls ......... 801-840-4000 General Information................ 801-264-2525 Senior Recreation Center ......... 801-264-2635 Human Resources.................... 801-264-2656 Library .................................... 801-264-2580 Mayor’s Office.......................... 801-264-2600 Municipal Court....................... 801-284-4280 Museum .................................. 801-264-2589 Murray Park Outdoor Pool ....... 801-266-9321 Murray Parkway Golf Course.... 801-262-4653 PARKS AND RECREATION Administrative Office .......... 801-264-2614 Rain-out Information ......... 801-264-2525 Park Center (indoor pool) ........ 801-284-4200 Passports................................. 801-264-2660 POLICE DEPARTMENT Administrative Office .......... 801-264-2673 Animal Control/SL County .. 385-468-7387 Code Enforcement .............. 801-264-2673 Non-Emergency Calls ......... 801-840-4000 POWER DEPARTMENT Administrative Office .......... 801-264-2730 After Hours Emergency....... 801-264-9669 PUBLIC SERVICES Administrative Office .......... 801-270-2440 Building Inspection ............ 801-270-2431 Green Waste Trailers ........... 801-270-2440 Planning and Zoning .......... 801-270-2420 Solid Waste......................... 801-270-2440 Water, Sewer, Streets.......... 801-270-2440 Zoning Enforcement ........... 801-270-2426 UTILITIES After Hours Emergency....... 801-264-9669 Billing Questions ................ 801-264-2626
murray.utah.gov
Mayor’s Message
MAYOR’S OFFICE
Where do your property tax dollars go?
mayor@murray.utah.gov 801-264-2600 5025 S. State Street Murray, Utah 84107
As I have talked with Murray’s constituents over the years, one of the more common topics that comes up is that of property taxes. I have discovered there is a lot of misunderstanding and misconceptions by homeowners about property taxes, such a who levies the taxes and where the money goes. Since property evaluation notices are mailed (or emailed) in July and August, the questions start to surface each year at that time, especially if the notice indicates an increase in the proposed tax for the year. The property evaluation notice itself contains a wealth of information and I encourage every property owner to carefully read the information found there. The first line on your notice will be the school district. This will be the largest single assessment on your notice. In Murray, you will either be in the Murray School District or the Granite School District depending on your property location. It’s important to note that both school districts are independent entities with their own governing boards and are entirely separate from the city government. The Murray City Council does NOT set the tax rates for any school district, as the Murray City Board of Education is the legislative body of the Murray School District and the Granite Board of Education is the legislative body of the Granite School District. The school boards are the taxing authority for school districts, not the city. The next two lines on your notice are also for schools, the State Basic School Levy, and the Utah Charter School Levy. Both are mandated by the State Legislature to help offset the cost of providing educational services. The next line on your notice is Salt Lake County. This is the tax imposed by the Salt Lake County council to fund the cost of general government in Salt Lake County, such as public health and human services, jails and courts, county administration, etc. The next two lines are for Murray City services: the Murray City levy, and the Murray City Library. These are the only two lines on your property tax assessment that are controlled by the Murray City council. The Murray City line is for the cost of general government in
D. Blair Camp -Mayor
Murray and accounts for about 19% of the general fund revenue. This is spent on public safety, parks, public works, and the cost of government administration. The Murray City levy for 2021 is .001608 and the Library levy is .000418. The other lines on the tax notice are for special service districts and will vary depending on the location of your property. It’s noteworthy that Murray City has only increased property tax one time since FY2006, and that was a moderate increase in FY2019. I occasionally hear from skeptical residents that tell me that their property tax has increased even though the city has had no increase. It’s true that individual property tax assessments will fluctuate from year to year, and here’s why. State law allows a city to only collect the same amount of property tax as in the previous year, except for new growth. However, the total assessed value of all properties in the city may fluctuate for several reasons. The total assessed value is divided by the amount of tax dollars the city is due resulting in the certified tax rate. So, depending on your individual property valuation and the certified tax rate, your taxes due may be slightly higher, or even slightly lower than the previous year. In general, as property values increase, the tax rate decreases. It’s important to check each individual line on your notice to compare with the previous year to see the fluctuations. If there is a tax increase proposed by any of the taxing agencies, you will be notified as to the time and place of a public hearing. There is an immense amount of information about property taxes on the Salt Lake County Auditor website (slco.org/propertytax). There you can find answers to almost any question related to property taxes in Salt Lake County. Ultimately it is up to you to decide if you are getting your money’s worth for your tax dollars. The cost of services that local governments provide continues to increase. The property tax rate in Murray City has been kept relatively low and, in my opinion, remains a good value.
The Murray City passport office is located at Murray City Hall in room 113. The office has extended its operating hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are required. Murray’s Passport office offers convenient, full-service passport processing to Murray residents and the surrounding communities. With in-house photos, fast and family-friendly service, and helpful staff, we aim to make submitting your application as quick and easy as possible. The U.S. Department of State is advising travelers to apply for passports at least six (6) months before making international travel plans. • Routine service can take up to 18 weeks • Expedited service can take up to 12 weeks To avoid having to make multiple trips, please read this page carefully before you come: www.murray.utah.gov/1350/Passports