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South Salt Lake tentatively adopts FY 2025–26 budget after council Q&A
Summary
City council tentatively adopted a $‑budget for fiscal year 2025–26 and discussed sales-tax allocations, grant uncertainty for Promise, utility rate changes under review, and a new transportation fund that relies on internal transfers rather than new taxes.
The South Salt Lake City Council voted Wednesday to tentatively adopt the city’s fiscal year 2025–26 budget after a public hearing and extended council questions about revenues, program funding and infrastructure costs.
City staff presented the proposed budget and asked the council to tentatively adopt it as the next step in the formal budget process. "The purpose of the public hearing is ... to tentatively adopt the tentative budget, for the coming year," said Crystal, a city staff member who presented the plan.
Council members focused questions on sales-tax assumptions, the city’s Promise program and potential utility rate changes. Crystal told the council that sales tax revenue is allocated across three funds — the general fund, the public-safety special revenue fund and the capital fund — and that the draft for next year is slightly lower than this year’s budget "just erring on the side of conservatism." She also said the city has applied for multiple grants and is "optimistic" about receiving funding for Promise but that grant awards have been slower than in the past.
On utilities, Crystal said the water and sewer budgets were prepared with the expectation of a rate restructuring or increase; the council was told a separate presentation on proposed water rates is scheduled for the next council meeting. Crystal explained that the current sewer fee of $10 per unit would be proposed to rise to $12 per unit under the draft rate plan discussed by staff.
Council members also asked about the new transportation infrastructure fund. Crystal said the draft budget relies on a transfer of fund balance from the general fund and on state Class C and other transportation-related revenues to cover projects; "we have not budgeted for a new fee at this point," she said. She added that a separate study and presentation on transportation funding will be provided to the council in June.
Council members pressed for additional detail and for a timetable for follow-up questions. Crystal said staff would collect and answer questions by email and that council members should send questions to Charlotte (council liaison) by Monday at 5 p.m.
After discussion the council adopted an ordinance to tentatively adopt the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. The adoption was taken by roll call and recorded as approved.
The tentative adoption moves the budget forward for required public-notice steps and final adoption later in the process; staff said the tentative adoption does not finalize revenues or rates that are still under study. Council members will receive detailed numerical comparisons between this year and last year ahead of the June meetings.
Staff contact: Crystal, city staff member (budget presentation).
