Ogden City seeks larger Adams CRA budget; district requests cash‑flow detail before decision

Ogden City officials briefed the school board on a proposed expansion of the Adams Community Reinvestment Area (CRA), presenting possible development projects and a proposal to increase the CRA's budgeted tax increment capture.

David Sawyer, deputy executive director for Ogden City Community and Economic Development, and other city staff described a redevelopment area east of Washington Boulevard that the city created in 2018 with an initial projected increment of $10.8 million. City staff proposed increasing the district's shareable increment to $30.5 million by raising the project's forecasted total taxable value from about $95 million to $133 million (city projection), while keeping the CRA termination date unchanged. The city said it is not asking the school district to extend the term but to increase the budgeted increment the redevelopment agency may capture.

Why it matters: the school district and other taxing entities participate in tax increment financing (TIF) for redevelopment districts; those TIF dollars are typically captured from future valuation growth within the district and used to support infrastructure, historic preservation, and development that the private market would not otherwise undertake. Changes affect the timing and amount of future property tax revenue the school district will ultimately receive.

City presentation highlights and board questions

- Completed projects: city staff listed recent investments in the area, including the Monarch, Perry Lofts, Stonehill Homes and the Towns at 204, and the Dunphy Arts Plaza, which have generated added taxable value.

- Pipeline projects: the city discussed higher‑cost historic restorations (Forest Service building, Cache Valley/First Security Bank building, and the Bigelow Hotel) and a package of new for‑sale townhomes, market‑rate apartments and infill single‑family homes. City staff said many of these projects are not feasible without public incentives because of seismic, environmental and infrastructure needs.

- Financial proposal: city staff said the CRA currently projected $10.8 million in increment (with approximately $8 million available for project spending after statutory set‑asides) and proposed increasing the capture to $30.5 million by accelerating projected valuation growth. The city proposed keeping the school district's participation level at 100 percent for the first ten years through 2028 and then reducing participation to 75 percent for the remainder of the CRA term; under the city projection the district's maximum captured amount would increase from $5.7 million to $17.1 million and the district would receive a larger lump‑sum increment earlier under the revised forecast.

- Tax increment mechanics and timing: staff from the city and the district explained how TIF works: taxing entities are "frozen" at base year collections and new growth (the increment) goes to the redevelopment agency to finance projects; when the district's CRA terminates or reaches its cap, the additional tax revenue flows back to taxing entities.

Board requests and next steps

Board members asked for a clearer, year‑by‑year cash‑flow analysis showing projected tax increment receipts for the school district under the current plan, the proposed plan, and a scenario in which the district does not increase participation. One board member asked how much the district currently foregoes annually under the existing agreement; city staff said they could provide exact numbers. Board members also asked for comparators showing how previous CRAs yielded returns when they terminated, and requested more detail on how the incremental dollars would be spent (infrastructure versus developer incentives).

Timing and process

City staff said they had briefed the Ogden City Council and county economic development committee; they planned to return with formal amendment documents in the near term and asked the board to consider the request in upcoming meetings. City staff said they were not requesting immediate board action that night but wanted direction and time to prepare a formal amendment.

Ending

Board members asked for detailed, multi‑year cash flow and project expenditure plans before taking a formal position. City staff agreed to provide the requested financial projections and prior CRA outcomes for board review.