August 2021 | Vol. 7 Iss. 08
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WEST JORDAN CITY CALLING FOR INFLATIONARY TAX By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com
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n Aug. 24, West Jordan City will host a $277,000. “We [will] hold it in reserves for truth-in-taxation. This is a state mandated next year when we’re going to be purchasing meeting that city leaders must hold if they want quite a few police vehicle replacements, like to adjust their property tax income. 89,” Steck said. The potential adjustment in West Jordan has The police department would get been discussed in city council meetings since last $65,000 to recruit new officers. “They are December. paying for new recruits out of the SLCC and At that time, Councilmember Zach Jacob UVU program that are going through trainexplained that a small increase in a truth in taxaing,” Steck said. “This would pay for 10 of tion meeting equals maintenance for the city and those recruits.” residents, not a higher cost to property owners. Another $100,000 would provide mar“The state law is to lower your taxes every keting and public outreach. “The council is year by default,” Jacob said. “We have to low- Staff and officials in West Jordan would like to bring another $500,000 to the city. (Photo courtesy West interested in reaching out to our residents on er it every year unless we raise it. Every year Jordan) a more regular basis for reporting, transparthe property value goes up, the property tax rate ency, noticing, events and other things to let ogy management fund. “The first 130,000 of that will purgoes down. It’s putting the brakes on the car going down the them know what we are doing for them,” Steck said. “We’re chase the agenda management software and the rest will go to hill.” not doing a whole lot of that right now.” beef up reserves,” Steck said. “What we’re finding is IT costs State law says that a city will receive the same amount of The marketing money would be further divided for speare increasing pretty quickly. [W]e purchased so much stuff property taxes each year, even if property values go up, unless cific department communication. “A lot of that outreach has during the pandemic with CARES act money. In three years, the city holds a truth-in-taxation meeting. to do with utilities; 25% of outreach is allocated to utilities,” [that] is going to make a huge cost increase because we’re This year, West Jordan leaders are considering a 2.5% Steck said. “Seventy-five thousand dollars to the general fund going to need to replace it. inflationary property tax rate. Of that 2.5% change, residents for things like information on a landfill, a transfer station, inThe Risk Fund would get $100,000, and $10,000 would will only pay 45%. Commercial property owners pay the full formational.” go to recruit a new risk manager. amount. The last $50,000 would go to the events budget. “Our “Ninety-thousand dollars [would go] into reserves,” This change in tax rate would bring $585,000 more to event staff is stretched too thin but not thin enough to gain Steck said. “The stronger our reserves are, the more we are the city. another employee,” Steck said. The money would pay for outable to find discounts in insurance premiums. It takes money Finance Director Danyce Steck outlined where that monsourced help. to make money.” ey would go if the rate is approved. The Aug. 24 meeting is open to the public and will have The fleet fund that purchases police vehicles would get Of that, $250,000 would go to the information technoltime for resident comments. l
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