Hyde Park council adopts certified tax rate, approves final budget after public hearing

Hyde Park — At a public hearing Aug. 27, the Hyde Park City Council voted to adopt the city’s certified tax rate at 0.0011 and approved the city’s final budget for the coming year.

The council opened the hearing on a proposed property tax increase that officials said is needed to keep pace with rising costs for public safety, roads and utilities. Mayor (name not specified) told residents the rate itself is proposed to remain 0.0011 and that rising tax bills result chiefly from increasing home values rather than a higher rate: "our tax rate is staying at 0.0011," the mayor said during the hearing.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said year-over-year increases in property values — plus rising costs for infrastructure and public safety — mean the city will collect more in tax dollars even with the same certified rate. Councilors emphasized the choice before them was to maintain the rate and accept higher revenue tied to higher home valuations, or reduce the rate and offset the difference by cutting programs or services.

Public comment focused on affordability and transparency. Shannon Rhodes, who identified herself as a resident, said she supports funding police but worried about the combined burden on taxpayers: "I'm glad that you mentioned the businesses because that was my biggest issue" — she urged the council to pursue nonresidential revenue so residents are less reliant on property tax. Hyde Park resident Harry Lapakovsky cited the public notice and described what he read as a roughly "10.5% increase in the tax rate" as reflected in estimated bill examples on the state website, noting that a homeowner’s bill could rise from about $330 to about $360 depending on assessed value.

Council members defended the staff-prepared budget and the decision to adopt the certified rate. Councilmember Kurt Brower moved to adopt Resolution 2025-12 setting the certified tax rate at 0.0011; Councilmember Tiffany seconded the motion. After discussion about grants, commercial development and long-term maintenance obligations, the motion passed 3-0. The council then considered the city’s final budget. Councilmember Tiffany moved to adopt Resolution 2025-13 (the final budget); the motion passed 3-0.

Council and staff noted the city has pursued grant funding aggressively (the mayor referenced roughly $1.415 billion in grant awards brought back across the mountain over recent years), and that a pending grant application for Wolfpack Way would seek about $5.5 million for roadway phases. Staff said grant awards and commercial development are central to reducing the residential tax burden in future years.

The council also discussed the city’s practice of making mid-year budget adjustments. Dania (city staff) and Marcus (city staff) were present during the hearing and responded to council questions about budget oversight and the source-restricted nature of some revenue, such as Class B and C road funds (gas tax) and grants.

Votes at a glance: - Resolution 2025-12 — Adopt certified tax rate 0.0011. Motion: adopt certified tax rate of 0.0011. Mover: Councilmember Kurt Brower. Second: Councilmember Tiffany. Vote: 3 yes, 0 no. Outcome: approved. - Resolution 2025-13 — Adopt Hyde Park City final budget. Motion: adopt final budget. Mover: Councilmember Tiffany. Second: Councilmember Kirk. Vote: 3 yes, 0 no. Outcome: approved.

Looking ahead, council members said they will continue pursuing commercial development near Wolfpack Way and the three corners around Green Canyon High School to broaden the tax base, and staff said they will post the final budget to the city website once the resolution is finalized. The council also reiterated that they expect to perform a mid-year budget review and to continue applying for grants to fund specific capital projects.