North Summit Fire District property tax expected to increase by 431.9% in 2023

Summit County Council Building. Photo: TownLift // Aberman

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — The agenda for the Summit County Council meeting on September 28 includes two notices of intent regarding increasing property taxes within the county: one increase is to fund the Synderville Basin Special Recreation District, and the other for the North Summit Fire District. You can watch the Summit County Council meeting at 3 p.m. on September 28 at 202 East Park Road, Coalville, or online here.

Both increases have been discussed at length in 2022 council meetings; the September 28 meeting will include the notices of intent that are required to go before the county legislative body before the taxes are put into effect. The county is required to announce the dates, times, and places where the budget and tax increases will take place. The Council will not be taking any formal action regarding these taxes in the upcoming meeting.

Both tax increases are part of the “truth in taxation” (TNT) process, which is designed to make the tax-increase process both transparent and accessible for all Summit County citizens.

According to a staff report to be put before the Council, the North Summit Fire District last went through the TNT process in 2008 and 1997 before then. The Fire District plans on increasing its 2023 property taxes by 431.9% in order to fund additional positions and provide sufficient first response for fires and other emergencies in the county. This translates to a $140 increase per $100,000 of a property’s taxable value within the county. You can read more about some of the North Summit Fire District’s funding woes in a TownLift article from earlier this month.

The staff report regarding the tax increase for Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District reads that the District last went through the TNT process in 2019 and 2004 before that. It also outlines a 19.9% increase in property tax revenue for the District, an increase of $8.20 for every $100,000 of property’s taxable value.