January 2021 | Vol. 8 Iss. 01
FREE CORONAVIRUS CREATES COUNTLESS HEADACHES BUT DOES NOT HARM CITY (OR ITS TAXPAYERS) FINANCIALLY By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
W
ith its tragic death and hospitalization numbers worldwide, it seems only natural to assume COVID-19 would have an equally devastating impact financially on municipalities across the country. Certainly, the pandemic has crushed a number of small businesses, while landing millions of Americans on unemployment. But truth be told, from a strictly economic perspective, the coronavirus has created a financial windfall for Taylorsville and many other cities. “This pandemic year of 2020 was truly the best of times and the worst of times,” Mayor Kristie Overson said during the final city council meeting of the year. “Our city sales tax numbers look very good, up 10% from last year.” Later in the same council meeting, an economic report credited the city’s “diversified tax base” as a key reason why city coffers did not take the hit most were expecting. One person pointed out, “when there was a run on toilet paper—and all those shelves were empty—sales tax was paid on every roll.” Bottom line: In a year many of us want to forget, quickly, there was one silver lining. City officials report there is no fear of a looming property tax hike due to revenue decreases caused by the pandemic. In fact, during the fourth quarter of 2020, it could be argued Taylorsville had “too much” money, courtesy of Uncle Sam. As part of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) economic stimulus bill, Salt Lake County received a pool of money to distribute to municipalities based on their populations. Through that formula, Taylorsville received $1,778,142 in July. However, the funds arrived with two significant strings
When not leading city council meetings, chairwoman Meredith Harker kept in touch with her elementary school students early in the pandemic, by conducting a book exchange through her classroom window. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
attached: the money could only be spent on things directly ad- challenges for city officials, as they determined how to properly dressing COVID-19 and all of the money had to be spent by the spend nearly $1.8 million in five months. But it was nothing end of the calendar year. Any unspent portion of the funding they could not handle. would have to be returned to the feds. The real challenge came three months later, when comThose stipulations on the federal grant funding created Continued page 5
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