Ivins officials outline budget shortfall and weigh property-tax increase to fund services

Ivins city leaders and the Washington County clerk‑auditor laid out the mechanics of property tax and the city’s budget shortfall at a public forum, then answered residents’ questions about timelines, possible tax increases and revenue from nearby resort development.

At the meeting, Washington County Clerk‑Auditor Ryan Sullivan explained how the assessor sets property market values each Jan. 1 and how the county produces certified tax rates; Ivins Finance Director Kate Visser and Council member Mike Scott reviewed the city’s finances and three scenarios for a property‑tax increase to cover operating and capital needs.

Sullivan said the system is designed so entities collect roughly the same operating revenue year to year unless they go through a formal truth‑in‑taxation process. “I am not an advocate for raising taxes. I’m just gonna talk about how the process works,” he told the audience. He described the valuation and appeals process, the importance of the July evaluation notice (the green paper mailed to owners) and the role of “new growth” — added taxable value from newly built homes or commercial property — in increasing overall revenue automatically.

Why this matters: Ivins has not adjusted its municipal levy in more than a decade, council and staff said, while costs and expectations for service have increased. Officials presented three illustrative revenue targets: about $540,000 (covers basic operations in 2026), about $860,000 (covers operations and identified capital needs for the next five years and rebuilds reserves) and about $1,350,000 (the amount council members said would fully offset inflation since 2010). Mike Scott summarized his view: “I think the middle road of about a $860,000 increase is…