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Emery County commissioners approve RFQ re-advertisement, multiple grants and contracts; adopt 2025 tax rates
Summary
At its June 17 meeting the Emery County Commission approved a set of procurement actions, grant agreements and contracts, adopted 2025 county and special-district tax rates and approved a 0.25 percentage-point increase in the transient room tax collection cap to 4.5%. One commissioner recorded a nay on the county tax-rate adoption.
The Emery County Commission on June 17 approved a slate of routine procurement items, grant modifications and contracts, adopted tax rates for 2025 and agreed to adopt a county transient-room-tax rate ceiling increase to 4.5 percent. Most motions passed unanimously; the adoption of the county’s 2025 tax rates passed 2–1 with Commissioner Jensen voting no.
Key outcomes at a glance (motions, vote tallies and brief notes):
- Consent agenda approved — Motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye).
- Industrial-park master-plan procurement: commissioners voted to withdraw the current request for proposals and re-advertise as a qualifications-based RFQ with a budget of up to $100,000; motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye). The staff direction was to set a firm submission deadline (5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time) and to seek qualifications rather than mixed proposals.
- Marketing and media assets RFQ: the commission opened and accepted applications for a pool of photographers and videographers (applicants included James Hugard, Sandra Salvez, Courtney Levitt, Buskin Allred, Riata Cummins, Sarah Ponwith, Leon Clayton); motion to accept applications passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye).
- Grant modification with USDA Forest Service (cooperative law enforcement): approved a $5,000 increase to the operating financial plan; motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye).
- FY26 security and bailiff contract (Seventh District Court and Emery County Sheriff’s Office): approved; motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye).
- BLM contract modification (P0008): de-obligated $13,007.25 in unused funds for option year 3 of law-enforcement services on BLM land and moved the funds into the active year; motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye).
- 2025 Emery County tax rates: commissioners adopted the county’s certified tax rates. The commission’s roll call recorded Warwood and Leonard voting Aye and Jensen voting Nay; motion carried 2–1. Commissioners discussed the constraints imposed by centrally assessed property and the permanence of lowering tax rates once adopted. County rates presented during the meeting included a general operations rate of 0.003698, library 0.00429, recreation 0.00068, and assessing/collecting 0.00463. The commission noted possible future discussions about applying CRA and in-port revenues to reduce rates.
- Castle Valley Special Service District tax rates: adopted as proposed; motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye). Jacob Sharp, district manager, presented the district’s proposed rates and revenue figures.
- Russian olive invasive-species mitigation grant: authorized acceptance and agreement for a $57,750 grant from the Utah Department of Agriculture to remove Russian olive along county streams for FY 07/01/2025–06/30/2026; motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye). Staff noted the county has received similar grants for over a decade and estimated roughly $750,000–$1,000,000 in total funding over the last 11–13 years for riparian invasive-species removal.
- Transit-room tax ordinance: adopted an ordinance to increase the county cap on transient-room-tax collections by 0.25 percentage points (from 4.25% to up to 4.5%), allowing the county to seek mitigation grants for search-and-rescue, EMS and outdoor recreation impacts; motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye).
- UOT co-op marketing grant application: authorized filing an application asking the state for $80,000 for event marketing and $15,000 for research/long-term marketing planning (match provided by existing county event/marketing contracts); motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye).
- OHV/REcreation (OHVR) grant application: authorized application for $6,000 to help print motorized and nonmotorized recreation maps (printing 10,000 copies each); motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye). Staff said BLM has historically split map costs and may again contribute as a match.
- Emery town visitor information sign: approved up to $1,000 to create and install visitor information on an existing town sign; motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye).
- Resolution creating Huntington Municipal Airport Advisory Board and bylaws: commissioners tabled the resolution for further revision to ensure the board’s scope and bylaws fit the county’s airport needs; motion to table passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye).
- Transition Zions Wealth investment account to Raymond James: commissioners approved transitioning the county’s investment relationship from Zions to Raymond James, retaining the same portfolio structure and no transfer fees; motion passed (Warwood: Aye; Leonard: Aye; Jensen: Aye). Scott (Raymond James) participated by phone to describe firm resources and institutional capabilities.
Other items: the commission discussed a forthcoming policy to guide donations to individuals and organizations; no formal policy was adopted at the meeting. The commission also recognized student groups (elementary archery team) and state champions (Wyatt Fox, state smallbore rifle champion) in ceremonial presentations.
Why it matters: the items adopted on June 17 include routine contract and grant approvals, a modest change to the transient-room-tax ceiling that enables county eligibility for state mitigation funds, and adoption of the county’s 2025 tax rates. The tax-rate adoption was the only item with a recorded dissenting vote.
