Residents here will be paying 19 percent more in city property taxes in fiscal 1997-98, according to the proposed budget under study by the City Council.
Assuming the tax hike survives the legally required truth-in-taxation hearing Aug. 6, it will translate to an additional $21 per year for a resident paying $1,000 in property tax.The hearing will be held in August, well after the usual June budget completion date, because residents won't be individually warned of the proposed tax increase until they receive their property tax notices in July.
Final approval of the budget will not take place until after the hearing.
The $250,000 in additional revenue from the tax increase will partially fund six new firefighters to provide full-time staffing at Station No. 2 on Bountiful Boulevard. A budgeted $50,000 in increased ambulance fees will cover the rest of the cost.
Additional property taxes generated by new construction will provide funds for other areas.
Three major fires in the Bountiful Boulevard area last year prompted complaints from east-side residents that incomplete staffing of Station No. 2 contributed to the heavy damage.
Other than a temporary hike to finance flood control in 1983, the last time Bountiful increased property taxes was in 1977, though other taxes and fees have been raised since then.
Bountiful currently has $29 million cash reserves, according to city recorder Arden Jenson. Some millions of that will be used next year for electrical and water capital improvement projects, specifically a new electrical transmission line and work on two substations, and two new reservoirs.
While many residents strongly support the city's pay-as-you-go attitude and zeal for saving, some have criticized it as making city officials less beholden to constituents.
The streets department budget is getting a $1.6 million increase over last year because of an infusion of cash from gas tax money given to cities as part of a transportation package passed by the Legislature this year. The city will use the money to install concrete streets on Main Street from 1500 South to 1800 South, and on 400 North from Main to 400 East.
The police department budget is down more than $4.5 million this year, but that's because last year's police budget contained $5 million to finish the new $7.2 million city police building.
City Manager Tom Hardy said the police department's operating budget actually increases $400,000 for 1997-98.
The parks and recreation fund is being increased $600,000 to fund acquisition of land at the Foss Lewis gravel pit for two new soccer fields.
The truth-in-taxation hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6 at 7:15 p.m., with a public hearing on the budget immediately after. There will be a public hearing on reopening and adjusting this year's budget on June 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Copies of the budget are available for perusal at City Hall, 790 S. 100 East.
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Additional Information
Budget
Bountiful
General fund: $14,630,390
1997-98
General fund: $16,190,887
1996-97
Where it comes from:
Property tax: $1,943,000
Last year: $1,669,936
Sales tax: $4,160,000
Last year $4,166,000
Franchise tax: $1,445,000
Last year $1,485,000
Where it goes:
Police: $3,555,515
Last year: $8,164,734
Streets: $4,456,863
Last year: $2,817,136
Fire: $1,680,804
Last year: $1,549,759
Administration: $633,198
Last year: $595,611
Parks/recreation: $1,403,520
Last year: $761,098
Tax/fee increases:
19% property tax increase equals additional $21 per $1,000 in property taxes