State officials outline governor's WISE initiative and master plan on aging, citing $144 million Social Security tax cut and food-program funding needs

SALT LAKE AREA — State officials briefed the Davis County Senior Services Advisory Board on a sweeping aging-focused package proposed in Governor Spencer Cox’s fiscal year 2026 budget and on a separate statewide master plan for aging.

Nels Holmgren, state director for the Utah Division of Aging and Adult Services, told the advisory board the governor’s WISE initiative — an acronym for wealth, independence, security and engagement — includes a proposal to eliminate state income-taxation of Social Security benefits and a mix of funding requests intended to shore up home- and community-based services.

Why it matters: Holmgren said the Social Security change would target tax relief to older Utahns and estimated the state revenue effect at about $144 million. He described additional funding asks to support in‑home care and protective services that, he said, would both improve care options and reduce long-term public costs by keeping people safely at home.

Holmgren said the governor proposes eliminating the tax on Social Security income, which the presentation characterized as…