Kaysville council adopts modified FY2026 budget with proposed tax and utility increases; adds police sergeant and assistant city attorney

Kaysville City Council adopted a modified tentative budget for fiscal year 2026 that includes a proposed property-tax increase, proposed utility rate increases and the addition of two staff positions: a police sergeant and an assistant city attorney. The council also approved a separate resolution adopting a compensation schedule that would maintain a merit program and cost‑of‑living adjustments for city employees.

The budget package approved by the council assumes a 31.72% increase in the city's property-tax rate (the Kaysville portion of an owner's full tax bill), which city staff said would amount to about $14.61 per month for the average household based on the finance department's assumed home value of $690,000. Staff also proposed utility rate increases to address infrastructure needs: a 15% increase for water and a 10% increase for power in the first year of the plan, intended to fund repairs and capital replacement identified in system modeling.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the increases respond to rising construction and replacement costs, recurring water-line breaks, growing operating expenses and the need to rebuild reserve levels to cover capital repairs and long-term infrastructure replacement. Staff presented modeling from an external vendor (WaterWorth) showing future operating and capital requirements for the water system and similar projections for the power fund.

Staff presentation and rationale Jason (staff member) led the presentation on the FY2026 modified tentative budget and the related compensation schedule. He summarized major capital priorities in the proposed budget: a gymnasium project…