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Council raises cemetery pricing and capacity concerns as out‑of‑town purchases rise
Summary
Council members discussed cemetery capacity and current pricing: in‑town plots $150, out‑of‑town $600. Staff said the cemetery is about half sold and recommended revisiting fees and policy to prioritize local residents; council asked staff to place fee revisions on a future agenda.
Levan, Utah — Council members discussed cemetery capacity and pricing at length on May 8 after staff reported that the town’s cemetery is roughly half sold. Officials said recent out‑of‑town buyers are taking available lots and that current prices make Levan one of the cheaper burial options in the state.
Chantelle (town staff) said current fees are $150 for a person who lives in Levan and $600 for non‑residents. Staff reported frequent inquiries from out‑of‑town callers seeking the least expensive burial options, and said several buyers had recently come from the Salt Lake area. Council members expressed concern about the fairness of the current fee structure, given that town taxpayers bear the long‑term responsibility for cemetery maintenance and groundskeeping.
Council members discussed possible policy approaches — including raising non‑resident prices further, adopting a ZIP‑code‑based residency definition, or restricting sales to non‑residents — but made no immediate change. Staff noted the town has roughly 30 undeveloped acres in reserve but that developing additional cemetery acreage will carry substantial cost if lots continue to sell at current prices.
Council directed staff to place cemetery fees and a related policy proposal on an upcoming agenda for formal consideration. Staff also suggested producing a public fee schedule and clearer cemetery maps for on‑site visitors because some callers and visitors had difficulty locating specific lots.
