Ogden City Council adopts tentative FY2026 budget, sets final hearing for June 17

Ogden City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the city'9s tentative fiscal year 2026 budget and to set a public hearing on the final budget for June 17.

The tentative budget adopted by ordinance 2025-14 includes authorizations for 700 full-time positions, a proposed 2.97% cost-of-living adjustment for all employees, a proposed 1.5% merit pool (discussed to increase to 2%), and a 4% step increase for sworn police and fire staff; council members also set the June 17 hearing to adopt the final budget and any Schedule A-1 adjustments.

Finance presenter Glenn Symes said the presentation was a high-level overview and pointed council and the public to detailed online resources, including the proposed budget book, line-item budgets and an interactive online budget book. "These resources are available," Symes said, describing where residents can review department-level figures and the significant-changes documents that explain year-to-year differences.

During public comment, resident Joseph Baumann asked whether raises combined to roughly 8% overall. "It looks like there's a potential for an 8% overall raise for employees. Is that correct?" Baumann asked. Chair White responded that the increases are layered: a 2.97% cost-of-living adjustment plus a proposed 1.5% merit increase for non-sworn employees (with discussion about increasing the merit component to 2%), and a 4% step increase specific to sworn fire and police employees. "We'9re providing the KPIs for the performance component," a city official added when asked whether merit pay would be automatic or performance-tied.

Council members and members of the public also asked about enterprise-fund transfers and capital project line items. Baumann questioned an approximate $3.9 million transfer from water enterprise funds to the general fund and asked whether those dollars could be used to pay down bonds earlier to reduce long-term costs. Finance staff said the enterprise transfers for water, sewer, refuse and storm sewer are planned and will be reflected in final documents.

Questions were raised about large line-item changes tied to the recently opened Marshall White Center; finance staff explained that the center had little or no budget in prior years because it was not yet open and that one-time adjustments and new operating costs now appear in FY2026 projections. Specific line items mentioned during public comment included a roughly $237,825 increase listed for Marshall White Center professional/IT services and a "haircut" (budget reallocation) of about $459,000 connected to expiring RDA (redevelopment) increment transfers; finance staff said those items reflect changes to account structures and RDA expirations and offered to follow up with the commenter for line-by-line detail.

The tentative budget identifies just over $29.7 million in proposed FY2026 capital funding across several funds. Symes reminded listeners that the certified tax rate is set by the county and that the council expects to adopt the county-provided certified tax rate when that figure is available.

Action: Vice Chair Hyer moved to adopt proposed ordinance 2025-14 (tentative FY2026 budget); Council Member Graff seconded. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with all council members voting aye. The council also set a public hearing for the final budget and Schedule A-1 changes on June 17.

Council members and staff directed staff to provide additional line-item detail to public commenters and said they will return with Schedule A-1 and the certified tax-rate information when available.