Roy City councilors review salary data, weigh tax and one‑time options to stop staff turnover

Mayor (name not specified) opened a workshop on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget and told councilors the session was “a conversation that’s gonna help you to answer your questions to get you prepared so that you’re ready to take that vote on the nineteenth,” and asked them not to discuss how they would vote before public input is taken.

The meeting centered on employee retention and compensation after staff and councilors described a pattern of departures in public safety and public works and identified gaps between Roy City starting wages and those advertised by nearby jurisdictions. Councilors directed staff to prepare multiple budget and tax scenarios, including use and exclusion of a recently realized one‑time property sale, to present at the Truth in Taxation hearing on Aug. 19.

Why it matters: Council staff and the mayor framed employee turnover as a budget and operational risk for services such as fire, police and public works. Staff warned that without changes the city would face either service cuts or a property tax increase large enough to require public notice under state truth‑in‑taxation rules.

What staff presented

A staff overview and accompanying slides (presented by Matt and displayed by Britney) summarized the draft FY2026 general fund gap and a salary survey. The presentation said the draft budget first identified a need of roughly $7.75 million to balance the general fund but that figure had been narrowed in staff materials to about $450,000. The presentation also…