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Weber County OKs small hotel tax hike, backs Utah 250 celebration committee and affirms certified tax rate
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Summary
At this week’s Weber County Commission meeting officials approved increasing the transient room tax from 4.25% to 4.5%, passed a resolution forming a joint Utah 250 committee with Ogden to plan sesquicentennial events, and adopted the county’s certified property tax rate, which fell because property values rose.
The Weber County Commission this week authorized an increase in the county transient room tax from 4.25% to 4.5%, passed a resolution acknowledging a joint Weber County–Ogden Utah 250 committee to plan next year’s statewide bicentennial celebrations, and adopted the county’s certified property tax rate, which declined under Utah’s revenue-neutral law as property values rose.
Commissioner Gage Frower introduced the items and invited Sarah Tulliver, chief executive officer of Visit Ogden, to describe the Utah 250 effort. "Next year is America’s 200 and fiftieth birthday," Tulliver said, and local committees are being asked to submit event proposals to a state Utah 250 committee; the county resolution acknowledges the joint Weber County–Ogden committee and opens the possibility of state funding for local events.
The commission also authorized a 0.25-percentage-point increase in the transient room tax, often called the TRT, raising the lodging tax paid on short-term stays under 30 days from 4.25% to 4.5%. "Under state statute, we're allowed to do that," Commissioner Gage Frower said. County officials said the rate for Weber County had remained at 4.25% since February 2006. Commissioners and the Visit Ogden representative said the increase is intended to generate additional revenue for visitor-economy efforts, including restaurants and attractions that benefit from tourism.
Scott Park, Weber County comptroller, explained the certified tax rate that governs property taxes in Utah and described how the county’s rate changed this year. "We're a revenue neutral state," Park said, adding that as property values increase the certified rate falls to offset those higher values. He also noted that Weber County receives about 25¢ of every property-tax dollar, while school districts receive about 50¢ and cities and special service districts receive the remainder.
Park and the commissioners urged residents to follow other local taxing entities’ meetings. Park said school districts, cities or special service districts that choose to raise taxes must hold public hearings, and he encouraged taxpayers to attend those hearings and speak to school board members or city councils about proposed increases. He said preliminary property-tax notices will likely be mailed in August.
No vote tallies, motion makers or seconders were stated on the record in the provided transcript excerpt. The actions recorded were described by commissioners and staff as formal authorizations or resolutions passed during the meeting, and officials characterized the certified tax-rate adoption as following Utah’s revenue-neutral procedures.
