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Midvale council discusses Unified Police proposed budget ceiling as cities weigh tax impact
Summary
Council members discussed a UPD-proposed budget increase cap (PBIM) the UPD board plans to adopt in March; Midvale officials said a 6% UPD increase could translate to a 20–25% property tax increase for Midvale without other spending changes.
Midvale City elected officials discussed March 4 how a proposed budget ceiling from the Unified Police Department (UPD) — the Proposed Budget Increase Maximum (PBIM) — could affect the city’s fiscal 2026 planning and property-tax outcome.
City Manager Matt Dahl and Mayor Gettle briefed councilors on a process the UPD board adopted after Midvale recommended it: the board will set a PBIM in March that limits how much UPD can increase its budget during the process. If UPD later needs to exceed that ceiling, a supermajority of the UPD board would have to approve the higher amount.
Mayor Gettle said the initial number floated at a UPD meeting was 7% across the membership, with Midvale’s share projected around 6%. "At 6% without Midvale City addressing any other needs that we have across the city, we'd be looking at about a 20 to 25% property tax increase to pay for that," Mayor Gettle said. Council members said that figure would be burdensome for Midvale residents.
Staff emphasized the process remains early. Dahl said the city’s budget retreat is March 20 and that a special UPD board meeting on March 6 is scheduled to further discuss a formal PBIM before the March 20 adoption. Dahl also provided preliminary revenue context: the city is projecting roughly $800,000 in new revenue in the next cycle, with about $200,000 restricted to fees and special funds; by contrast, the PBIM impact was estimated at about $860,000 in additional UPD-related costs.
Council members asked the mayor, the city’s representative on the UPD board, to carry specific guidance to the March 6 and March 20 meetings. Chief April Morse, who was in the audience, was explicitly acknowledged by the mayor to clarify that the potential PBIM is a UPD board-level budget mechanism and not a direct personal request from the precinct chief.
No formal council vote was taken on PBIM; the meeting was used to provide direction and to ask the mayor to represent Midvale’s position at the upcoming UPD board discussions.
