March 2026 | Vol. 20 Iss. 3
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Draper February was National Dental Month
Sutera returns
Suicide prevention City, county teach QPR method
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Page 6
Former coordinator takes the helm of Charger football Page 18
Save our Teeth
Tourism results in lower property taxes says mayor in State of City speech By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com Tourism and shopping locally fund city services while keeping property taxes lower for residents, but the mayor warns of budget shortfall if the legislature increases tax exemption.
D
raper is a tourist destination. Who knew? That translates into lower property taxes for you. In his annual State of the City speech, Mayor Troy Walker said cell phone data shows people from all 50 states set foot in Draper. Tourism results in sales tax revenue and translates into lower property taxes for residents. Pie charts of the city’s General Fund revenue showed $21.5 million comes from sales tax while $11 million comes from property taxes. Statistics show the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium had 922,000 visits and the Salt Lake County Flight Park had 258,000 visits in 2025. “My message is shop in Draper. It goes right into our budget if you do. Go as often as you can. Out of those taxes, that’s how we fund our city operations,” Walker said. The mayor’s tone is serious in speaking about the Utah Legislature, going so far as to
call the session “the Dark Times.” Walker is not a fan because he’s said the state has been trying to take away local control for years. “Whenever that legislature gets in session, crazy stuff happens,” he said. At the state level, Walker praised the work of former Draper Councilmember Cal Roberts who now represents District 46. At the federal level, the mayor said, “Congressman (Mike) Kennedy and Sen. (John) Curtis are very receptive to what we need in local government.” Walker walked through statistics about the city including 317 acres of parks and 2,700 acres of open space. Current population is estimated at 56,236 made up primarily of 15,562 Gen Z residents (born between 1997-2012) and 15,001 millennials (1981-86) with 11,529 Gen X residents (1965-80). “We even have a fair number of babies,” he said. Fifty-two percent of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher and median income is $146,953. “I don’t think a lot of cities in the country have that…we’re a well-educated community and the median age of 34.7 is pretty young.” Draper has 3,099 businesses. “That is not by accident. Our council has been interested in making business a big part of our community.”
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City statistics show the median home price in Draper between $820,000 and $1 million. There are 17,496 total households made up of 10,650 single family homes, 4,658 apartments and 2,611 townhomes. Walker explained the property tax breakdown on a home valued at $1 million. The state currently allows a tax-exempt discount of 45% meaning taxable value in that scenario is $550,000 at a rate of 0.000936, resulting in $514 taxes. Walker offered up his personal tax statement showing he paid $645 for city services such as police, fire, parks, water and sewer. “That’s a lot of service for a very little amount of money. The money we’re taking in is what we need to provide the services you expect.” Walker warned of potential legislative action. “They’re talking about changing… that 45% exemption to 60%. If they do, that takes about $1.6 million out of our budget, and I don’t have $1.6 million laying around. It sounds great to lower taxes, but when you “Tourism is actually a big deal for us. need that paramedic…we might not be able to Draper attracted visitors from all 50 states,” afford it.” Mayor Troy Walker said at his annual State The biggest expense is the city’s person-
of the City speech in January. (Mimi Darley
Continued on page 4 Dutton/City Journals)
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