Salt Lake City unveils $512.5 million general fund proposal; council adopts tentative FY26 budget

Mayor Rachel Mendenhall presented her recommended budget for fiscal year 2025–26 on the council dais, proposing a general fund of $512,471,524 and saying the plan contains no property tax increase for the coming year.

The budget “is a nearly entirely flat budget” shaped by inflation and rising operational costs, Mendenhall said, stressing that the roughly 6.7% increase from last year is driven “almost entirely by inflation and rising cost of maintaining the services and the infrastructure we already have.” She told the council the proposal sustains current services while advancing targeted public safety, housing and infrastructure actions.

Why this matters: the tentative budget sets city priorities and funding levels that will guide public‑safety staffing, housing subsidies and capital investments. The council must hold budget briefings and approve a final budget later in the process; adopting the tentative budget is the formal step that moves FY26 planning into that review phase.

Key items in the mayor’s presentation included:

- A proposed general fund of $512,471,524 (a 6.7% increase over last year’s adopted general fund), described by Mendenhall as driven by inflation rather than new programs.

- A $5,000,000 city commitment to deeply affordable housing targeted to households earning at or below 30% of area median income (roughly $36,000 per year for a family of four), split with $2,500,000 from the Community Reinvestment Agency and $2,500,000 from the Community and Neighborhoods Department, the mayor said.

- Public‑safety investments tied to the city’s public safety plan, including $3,900,000 proposed funding for seven new items, $550,000 for crime monitoring and response technologies (including drones and real‑time data tools), and more than $500,000 for overnight security at several parks named by the mayor (Allen, Cottonwood, Fairmont, Glendale, Herman Franks, Jordan and Liberty parks, plus the International Peace Gardens and portions of the Jordan River Trail).

- A reallocation of $5,200,000 for police, fire and street maintenance vehicles moved into the current fiscal year to avoid higher costs driven by federal tariffs.

- Creation of a new Clean City team inside the Public Services Department to address graffiti, abandoned property, trash and lighting; the mayor said the only net new positions in the general fund are five full‑time equivalents for this team, focused on North Temple and the Jordan River Trail.

- West Side–focused capital investments totaling more than $2,700,000, including $680,000 for an accessible asphalt pathway at Rose Park Lane Veil (with tree plantings) and $400,000 for improvements at the Fisher Mansion to enable future public‑private activation and an RFP process for tenants.

- A $3,000,000 capital allocation for the first phase of the downtown green loop and $200,000 in the mayor’s budget to begin legacy planning for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

- Transportation and safety funds, including $2,300,000 for Vision Zero improvements on Redwood Road, 900 West and 800 South and an additional $300,000 in ongoing street maintenance funding.

- Utilities and service rate adjustments the mayor said are necessary to fund system upkeep: combined increases for water, sewer, stormwater and street lighting that the administration estimated will amount to about $10 per month for low water users, and an approximate $3 per month waste and recycling increase for most residential bins.

- A $1,000,000 capital request for electric vehicle charging stations at the Public Safety Building to support the city’s electric fleet transition and ongoing sustainability work.

- Personnel items: a proposed 4% cost‑of‑living adjustment for non‑represented employees, and notice that the city recently reached a signed memorandum of understanding with the Salt Lake Police Association covering three years.

City council action and next steps: the council voted unanimously to approve a resolution adopting the tentative budget for Salt Lake City, including the library fund, for fiscal year 2025–26, a procedural step the council must complete before holding a series of departmental briefings and adopting a final budget in June. Council members said they will spend several weeks receiving briefings and public comment before final action.

Voices at the meeting: Mayor Rachel Mendenhall presented the proposal and thanked department leaders including Fire Chief Leeb and Police Chief Brian Redd, both of whom attended the presentation. Council members acknowledged receipt of the mayor’s recommended budget and signaled a schedule of upcoming briefings.

Ending: the tentative budget adoption sets the parameters for detailed council review. The administration’s numbers and the council’s upcoming hearings will determine final allocations and any changes before the budget is adopted later this spring.