Mayor previews $200 million Sandy City budget and says tentative plan will not raise property taxes

Mayor Maryann told the Sandy City Council and members of the public at a budget preview that the administration will present a balanced tentative budget that does not include an increase in property taxes.

The mayor said the city's combined budget for the coming year is about $200,000,000 and emphasized that departments have worked to align requests with a goal of preserving high-quality services while keeping costs low. ‘‘I directed my staff to look at some deep and steep cuts. As our revenue projections have come in . . . I am pleased to report that our department heads . . . align with the goal of delivering a balanced budget with no property tax increase this year,’’ Maryann said.

Why it matters: the administration framed the preview as an early look at revenues, compensation, and department requests and prioritized maintaining public safety and core services while continuing a multi‑year program of infrastructure investments. The mayor and staff highlighted ongoing capital work intended to position Sandy for future development when market conditions improve.

Key details and administration priorities

- Major capital projects cited by the mayor and staff include Fire Station 31, a Public Works fleet garage, Phase 6 of Monroe Street, improvements at the RSL Soccer Stadium, and a proposed $19.5 million recreation center (referred to as the Alta Canyon Sports Center). The administration said those projects are part of an ambitious municipal program meant to support long‑term economic growth.

- The mayor and budget staff reported the general fund's fund balance target and noted a current general fund balance at roughly 12 percent and more than $8 million in available general fund reserves. Staff emphasized restrictions on many funds and that not all of the $200 million may be spent freely because some revenue is restricted to specific purposes.

- Staff said sales tax remains the largest single revenue source for the general fund (roughly 35–40 percent of general fund revenue), with property tax comprising a smaller share (around 18 percent). Leaders described sales tax receipts as moderating and cited a population factor shift that reduces the city's share of state distributed revenues.

Economic context and development pipeline

Planning and development staff told the council the city has a substantial pipeline of private development across different parts of Sandy, including residential subdivisions and senior housing outside the core development area and several larger projects in the city center.

Economic development staff said the city is working with several developers on projects in the central transit area (including a project behind the Hilton Garden Inn, Centennial Village behind the post office, and other mixed‑use developments). Staff noted many projects include some number of affordable units and that the city is exploring tools such as a housing transit reinvestment zone (HTRZ) to support development.

Officials emphasized Sandy's AAA bond rating as evidence of fiscal strength while noting the city is managing through a period of flat sales tax growth and broader economic uncertainty.

What officials asked of departments

Council and administration staff said they expect departmental budget presentations in May and asked departments to explicitly describe how each departmental request aligns with the council's five adopted budget priorities (economic development; employee satisfaction; community safety; quality of life; fiscal health).

Looking forward

Staff said the tentative budget will be formally presented in May and that the administration is still working to reconcile all departmental requests with projected revenues. The mayor invited councilors and residents to continue submitting priorities and questions during the budget process.