Sandy City adopts tentative FY2026 budget with $1 million in cuts; mayor announces $1M foundation pledge for Alta Canyon rebuild

Sandy City Council on May 6, 2025, adopted a tentative fiscal year 2026 budget that trims about $1 million from the prior year, preserves current tax rates and advances plans for the Alta Canyon Sports Center rebuild after Mayor Monica Zoltanski announced a $1,000,000 pledge from the Larry H. Miller Family Foundation. The council approved the tentative budget by voice roll call, 6-0.

The budget presentation emphasized maintaining core public-safety and infrastructure services while responding to flat sales-tax growth and inflation. "This budget includes a million dollars of cuts from the prior year's budget," Mayor Monica Zoltanski told the council during the public hearing, adding the administration would not seek a sales-tax or property-tax increase as part of the tentative plan.

Why it matters: the tentative budget sets spending ceilings for the coming year and starts a multi-week review process that ends with final adoption. The administration framed the reductions—largely personnel and operating cuts—as necessary to fund a proposed 3% cost-of-living adjustment for employees, continued fleet and capital spending, and a plan to complete the Alta Canyon Sports Center rebuild without raising taxes.

Key numbers and priorities

- Total city budget (all funds): roughly $185,000,000. General fund: $82,700,000. Fund balance target: 12% (about $9.3 million). - Personnel and compensation: the administration proposed a compensation package estimated to increase personnel costs by 3.4% overall (about $2,160,000 to general and governmental funds;…