Sept. 2022 | Vol. 04 Iss. 09
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CITY COUNCIL APPROVES INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES TO FUND UPD BUDGET INCREASE By Sara Milano | s.milano@mycityjournals.com
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n Aug. 8, the Millcreek City Council and members of the public convened for the city’s state-mandated truth in taxation hearing. This process, established by the Utah State Legislature, requires city and county governments who want to raise taxes to host a public hearing and provide advance notice to taxpayers before voting on the issue. The hearing came together in advance of a proposed 4.57% increase in property taxes for Millcreek residents. After opening up the floor to public comment on the issue, all five council members voted to approve the ordinance. For a home valued at $653,000, homeowners will experience an increase from $498.86 to $521.84 annually in property taxes. Businesses (which are subject to a higher tax rate than residences) will see their yearly property taxes increase from $907.02 to $948.81 on a property valued at $653,000. The hearing began with a presentation from the city’s Finance Director Laurie Johnson. Johnson detailed the changes to Millcreek’s budget and described how city officials arrived at the decision to raise property taxes. She described the council’s goal to “keep this as low as we possibly can and still keep the city in good financial shape.”
Millcreek City Council approved a tax increase to help fund the police budget. (City Journals)
The tax increases were devised as a way for the city to afford Millcreek’s $15.3-million contract with the Unified Police Department, the cost of which has increased 19.5% from the previous year. The majority of the $3 million increase is for compensation for officers in the form of an annualized pay
raise. Millcreek will come up with the $15 million for UPD’s contract using a hybrid source of property taxes, energy sales and use tax, and general fund balance (the city’s “rainy day fund” from budgeting). If the city’s projections for tax revenues hold up, they esti-
mate “maybe a 3% increase in property taxes to keep everything going” will be necessary for the following year. Mayor Jeff Silvestrini sympathized with residents, stating, “We aren’t happy about it Continued page 5
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