TOOELE — Residents packed the Tooele High School auditorium Tuesday night to speak out against a controversial tax increase being proposed by the Tooele County School District.
Leading up to the public comment period of the hearing, the Tooele Board of Education was inundated with loud jeers and boos from the frustrated attendees. As it turned out, those persisted through the entirety of the hearing and into the board’s vote.
At several points throughout the hearing, board President Melissa Rich had to ask the crowd to be “respectful” and “please stop yelling” amid heckling.
The board proposed a property tax increase for 2025 to raise revenue by 8.06%, or $9.25 million. Despite the near-constant outcry from the hearing’s attendees and over four hours of public comment against the hike, the board voted to pass the tax increase.
The move is expected to cost the average homeowner in the county an extra $284 a year. For business owners, the increase is an extra $516 a year.
Many citizens criticized the district for proposing a tax hike while simultaneously having some of the lowest educational outcomes in the state. Others spoke about the financial burden they’d face due to increased taxes.
A legislative audit released in June found the Tooele County School District — which comprises 27 schools and over 15,000 students — performed below state targets and the performance of peer districts of comparable size in most standardized state tests and graduation rates in 2024.
Auditors say this, along with findings of low employee morale, has led to inefficiencies and noncompliance in the education of Tooele County students.
“Our taxes are just going through the roof. Seventy-eight percent of our taxes are going to the school district. I’ve been paying school taxes my whole life, and I’m trying to retire,” said Tom Jore. “I don’t think (the tax increase) is deserved.”
Jore said his message to the district would be to “cut the fat and quit raising taxes,” adding that he pays more in property taxes than he does for his house payment.
“Something’s gotta give sooner or later,” Jore said.
A statement posted on the district’s Facebook page says the district has already attempted several cost-cutting measures over the past 18 months, including hiring freezes, restrictions on travel and overtime, reduced stipends where possible, and the elimination of positions through attrition.
“The decisions before us were not made lightly, and we recognize that any change in taxes represents a real sacrifice. We live and work here too, and we feel those same financial pressures,” the statement says. “That is why every step of this process has been focused on using resources wisely, identifying cost savings wherever possible, and finding a solution that limits the long-term impact while still meeting the needs of our schools.”
District administrators say the additional $9.25 million in revenue would be used to help the district avoid firing staff and decreasing compensation.