2026 Shop Holladay Bag Design Competition
The Holladay Business Advisory Board and Arts Council are excited to launch the inaugural #ShopHolladay Bag Design Competition.
We are seeking one (1) original artwork piece to become the official 2026 #ShopHolladay reusable shopping bag. The winning design will celebrate the unique character of Holladay while encouraging residents to support local businesses through the #ShopHolladay campaign.
The Commission was created to implement the vision of the Mountain Accord, bringing together governments and stakeholders to find collaborative solutions for the future of Central Wasatch. The Commission recognizes that these issues cannot be addressed by one community or group alone. They coordinate among the many stakeholders with interests in the mountains including property owners, ski resorts, environmental and recreation communities, elected leaders at the federal, state, and local levels, and the thousands of Utahn who enjoy these outdoor spaces. By working collaboratively across jurisdictional boundaries, we can better protect these mountains while ensuring they remain accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Holladay ‘s voice on the commission has helped secure resources for canyon projects, including graffiti abatement, trailhead bathroom maintenance, and trail repair of some of the most popular trails in the canyons. Over the past six years over $200,000 has been invested by the commission to improve recreational experiences for all who enjoy these mountains.
As part of my representation of Holladay residents, I sit on the Transportation Committee. My efforts do not support the proposed gondola. Instead, they focus on working to procure state funding for improved canyon transportation, expanding the ski bus priority access program into Holladay, and working with UDOT to make sure resident’s needs are represented as plans move forward for the future transportation hub at the gravel pit near the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. These and other efforts are intended to reduce traffic congestion and improve access to the canyons, helping residents reach the slopes more efficiently while reducing neighborhood impacts from traffic congestion and overflow parking near the southern end of the city.
One of the most rewarding aspects of serving on this commission has been seeing the respect shown for differing perspectives and the willingness to work through competing interests. At a time when public discourse often feels increasingly divided, this spirit of collaboration has been especially encouraging. The Wasatch Mountains belong to all of us, and we all benefit from their beauty, recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, and economic vitality.
By ensuring the City of Holladay has a seat at the table, we can help preserve these mountains for future generations.
—Emily Gray, Council Member District 5
The reusable bags will be distributed at various city events this fall and used as a lasting symbol of shopping local and supporting Holladay businesses.
The deadline to submit is August 26, 2026, by 11:59pm. There will be one (1) winning design with a $300 prize. The winning design will be announced in September 2026. Visit our city’s website, www.holladayut.gov for more information on eligibility and criteria. or contact Megan Atterman at matterman@holladayut.gov, if you have additional questions.
Back to School Means Back to Safety in School Zones!
With the start of the school year, it’s time for all of us to refocus on keeping our kids safe as they head to and from school. It’s been a few months since those familiar flashing yellow lights in school zones were active—but now they’re back.
Reminder: The speed limit in a school zone is 20 mph.
That limit is there for a reason—children can be unpredictable near roads, and the slower you are going, the more time you have to react.
Crossing Guards Are Heroes in Bright Vests
Please pay attention to our crossing guards. When they step into the
street with a stop sign, stop—don’t go around them. They’re making sure kids get across safely, and driving past them puts lives at risk. They only stop traffic when absolutely necessary, so please be patient.
School Buses: What Those Flashing Lights Mean
• Yellow flashing lights? You may pass—slowly, at 20 mph.
• Red flashing lights? Stop. That means children are getting on or off the bus, and they could cross in front of you at any moment.
Safety First, Enforcement Always
Officers will be actively enforcing school zone laws. Our goal is to keep kids safe so they can focus on learning, not traffic dangers.
Let’s all do our part to keep Holladay a safe, welcoming place for families. Whether you’re commuting, walking, biking, or busing—it takes all of us to make school days safe ones.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Paul Fotheringham, Mayor pfotheringham@holladayut.gov 801-424-3058
David Sundwall, District 1 dsundwall@holladayut.gov 801-633-5753
Matt Durham, District 2 mdurham@holladayut.gov 801-999-0781
Natalie Bradley, District 3 nbradley@holladayut.gov 801-243-1139
Drew Quinn, District 4 dquinn@holladayut.gov 801-860-6130
Emily Gray, District 5 egray@holladayut.gov 801-755-3477
Gina Chamness, City Manager gchamness@holladayut.gov
PUBLIC MEETINGS:
2026-27 Budget Message
On June 11, the Holladay City Council adopted the City’s budget for the fiscal year which began on July 1. During May and June each year, the City Manager and City Council review projected revenues and anticipated service needs for the upcoming fiscal year. While the City has a number of funds, including a stormwater enterprise fund with revenue generated exclusively from fees, the General Fund is the primary fund that pays for City operations.
This year, Holladay expects to receive approximately $25 million in revenue into the General Fund from a variety of sources.
Property tax is the City’s largest single source of revenue and will fund approximately 35% of General Fund operations. While property taxes for individual property owners may change from year to year depending on a variety of factors, state law is designed to keep the funding that Holladay receives at roughly the same level over time.
Any increase in the property tax rate requires a Truth in Taxation notice and public hearing. For FY 2026-27, a property tax increase was not needed.
The City’s share of sales tax generated by brick-and-mortar businesses, as well as merchandise delivered within the City funds 31% of City operations. Sales tax funding, as well as revenue from licenses and permits, varies as overall economic conditions in the area and in the state change.
Nearly half of the City’s General Fund budget is spent on critical public safety services. Holladay currently contracts with the Unified Police District (UPD) and United Fire Authority (UFA) to provide these services for Holladay residents. While the FY2027 UPD budget reflects a 2.3% increase over the adopted FY2026 budget, the FY2026 budget included a one-time $100,000 use of fund balance. Excluding that one-time funding, the effective increase for FY2027 is approximately 3.6%.
Bonding Activities
In June 2022, the City issued a bond to fund road and stormwater improvements. By March 2026, approximately $19.9 million of the bond proceeds had been invested in upgrades to local neighborhood streets, key connector roads, and stormwater infrastructure. With these bond funded projects now complete the City plans for continued maintenance of critical road and stormwater projects.
In December 2025, the City issued $10 million in lease revenue bonds. These
by Christian Larsen, Finance Directory
bond proceeds, along with a capital investment from the City, will fund the renovation and seismic retrofit of City Hall as well as the adaptive reuse of the Spring Lane site as a public park. The general fund must transfer annual lease payments to the LBA (a legally separate entity chaired by the City Council) for the annual debt service associated with the 2025 LBA bond. In FY2027, the total debt service transfer to the LBA is $492,613.
Property Tax Changes
In late July, property owners in Holladay begin receiving Notices of Property Tax Valuation and Tax Changes from Salt Lake County. Those notices usually generate some questions we’ll try to address. The notice highlights two potential types of changes that can affect the property tax residents pay – how your individual property is valued, and the tax rate that you pay to various entities, including the Granite School District, Salt Lake County, and the City of Holladay.
State law prohibits local governments from receiving a windfall from an increase in property values, so as property values increase, the “certified rate” or the rate that a tax entity can impose without a hearing, decreases, guaranteeing each entity only the same amount of revenue from property tax received the previous year, plus an allowance for any new growth that may have occurred in the community. State law also guarantees that the amount local taxing entities receive remains the same when property values are falling by increasing the rate to generate the same revenue as the year before. In total, average property valuations in Holladay increased by 5.5% this year.
How much your property tax changes depends on a number of factors, including the valuation of your individual property as compared to that overall percentage for our area, and whether any other taxing entities that receive property tax are increasing their tax rates this year. Generally, any change in the tax rate beyond the certified rate requires a Truth in Taxation hearing. The dates of these hearings are shown on the notices received from the County, and are staggered so that a property owner can attend each hearing that affects their property.
If you have questions about the City of Holladay’s budget, property tax, etc. please visit the City website or contact Christian Larsen, Holladay’s Finance Director, at (801) 272-9450 or clarsen@holladayut.gov.
In Memoriam: Mayor Dennis Webb
By Lynn Pace, former City Council Member
Last month the City of Holladay lost a true champion, former Mayor Dennis Webb, who passed away on June 21, 2026. Dennis served as the Mayor of Holladay for 10 years. I had the honor of serving on the with him on the City Council during that time. Dennis and I were first elected in 2004, immediately after citizens had voted to change the form of government. Dennis was my mentor, my confidante and my friend. He did not have political ambitions. But after four years of contention and conflict at City Hall, his neighbors asked him to run for Mayor, hoping that he could be the white knight we needed to bring peace and progress to the City. Dennis was all that and more. Perpetually cheerful, optimistic and patient, Dennis was a peacemaker, and a consensus builder. He was just the right person our community needed, and at just the right time, to heal old wounds and plan for our future. On the night of his inauguration, he told us that when he was a boy he loved to wear a white cowboy hat, because the good guys
It is time for Movies in the Park in Holladay City. Movies will include a FREE Treat and Water! Holladay City and Happy Healthy Holladay will also be showing Screenagers on September 5th and that showing will include The Chat Couch, Swag, and FREE treats.
always wear white hats. Tonight, he said, regardless of our past disagreements, everyone is wearing a white hat. Everyone here is trying to build a better Holladay. Dennis was also a visionary and was always looking ahead. He was not content with what Holladay was, and worked to toward what he believed it could become. So much of what we enjoy today in Holladay is the result of his vision - City Hall, the City park, the Holladay Village Center and plaza, the tree lined streets, hanging flower baskets, Harmons grocery store, the City fire station with its tall tower, and Knudsen Park. For Dennis, good enough was never good enough for Holladay. He labored unceasingly to create a community that was off the beaten path, a place that was special, and a place that everyone would be proud to call home. Mayor Webb changed Holladay in a wonderful way. So here’s to Mayor Dennis Webb, the man with the white hat. Holladay is a better place because he was here. On behalf of a grateful community, I express our collective thanks to him, and to his family, for the gifts they have given to all of us. God bless you.
LIBRARY HAPPENINGS
Summer Wellness - Ceramic Painting
Thursday, August 13 - 6 to 7pm
Join us for a unique experience this summer! Better yourself with a new method of creative expression.
The Emperor’s New Clothes - Puppet Show by The Puppet Players
Monday, August 31st - 10:15am
A trickster tailer finds a way to teach the emperor that clothes are never as important as the folks around us. These puppets are made from household objects. Lots of fun!
