Riverton mayor cites decade of growth, unveils water, parks and public-safety priorities

Riverton Mayor (name not specified) used the city's State of the City address to summarize roughly a decade of growth and to outline priorities for infrastructure, water, parks, public safety and economic development as the city approaches build-out.

The mayor said the city's sales tax revenue has grown from about $4 million to about $13 million over the last 10 years, and described several large projects and funding moves he said have allowed Riverton to keep local fees and taxes relatively low. "We've seen significant increase in sales tax revenues," the mayor said.

Why it matters: the speech tied several concrete investments to fiscal outcomes and service changes. The mayor attributed nearly $21 million in aggregate taxpayer savings to the city's move to a local law-enforcement service area and said exiting the countywide fire district saved about $2 million in recent years. Those savings, he said, help keep utility and fee burdens lower than surrounding jurisdictions.

Key fiscal and public-safety points The mayor said Riverton's move to a local Riverton Law Enforcement Service Area and its own police department reduced property-tax costs and produced aggregate savings. "In the first year, we were able to cut that property tax rate," the mayor said, and "since 2018 ... we saved over $21,000,000 in aggregate for our taxpayers" compared with staying in the county district. He also said exiting the countywide fire tax district produced "almost $2,000,000" in property-tax savings, including "nearly 1,000,000 just last year." The mayor emphasized the change also increased the number of officers residing in Riverton and cited that as a public-safety benefit.

Water, utilities and the Green Well project The mayor reviewed the city's shift in water sourcing and meter policy. He said Riverton switched its water source in 2014 to the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District after residents reported hard water problems and that the city has maintained rates the mayor said are comparable to 2014 levels. He described a forthcoming "Green Well" reverse-osmosis project funded with federal funds through the county and a $3,000,000 grant, which the mayor said is "anticipated that it will save our residents millions of dollars in the future."

On secondary metering, the mayor said a state-legislature mandate required secondary water meters and initially had no dedicated funding. He said the city took out about $10,000,000 in loans while implementing the program, then received "more than almost 9,000,000 in grant funding from the state" for early adopters, allowing Riverton to repay the loans and avoid raising secondary-water rates.

Parks, trails and community amenities The mayor listed recent and planned park projects: reopening the Sandra and Lloyd Community Center after renovation supported by a $1,200,000 Salt Lake County grant; construction of three new pavilions; planting about 20 trees; building batting cages at CR Hamilton Park; adding an ADA playground at Canyon View Park; completing the Jordan River gazebo restoration; and creating splash pads and pickleball courts. He said Riverton now has 33 city parks, more than 540 acres of public green space, 14 trails and other amenities.

Transport and growth The mayor thanked state partners for accelerating work on Bangerter Highway interchanges that he said will improve east-west traffic, and said UTA will add two bus routes (on 126th South and Redwood Road) expected to begin in April. He pointed to large commercial growth since 2013, saying about 3,000,000 square feet of commercial development has been built, including Mountain View Village and Costco, and that last year the city registered 86 new businesses and 134 home-based businesses.

Budget discipline and awards The mayor cited a Utah Taxpayers Association recognition for Riverton's low municipal tax burden per capita in the region and said the city retains a triple-A bond rating. He framed continued work on sanitation hauling, priority-based budgeting and long-range planning as ways to preserve low fees and service levels.

What was not decided The address reviewed accomplishments and plans but did not include any formal council votes, ordinance readings or motions. The mayor described planned projects and partnerships but did not announce specific adoption actions or new revenue measures during the address.

The mayor closed by urging continued focus on efficient municipal services and by reaffirming public-safety staffing as a priority for the coming years.