Bountiful opens hearings on Light & Power transfers and proposed 2025–26 water and power rate increases

Bountiful city staff on Tuesday held public hearings to explain a proposed administrative transfer from the Light and Power Fund to the general fund and to present proposed water and power rate increases for fiscal year 2025–26.

Galen Rasmussen (staff member) told the council the transfer reimburses the general fund for services provided to enterprise operations — payroll, accounting, information technology, legal, engineering and similar functions — and has historically been implemented as a dividend from the Light and Power Fund back to taxpayers. Rasmussen described the current proposal for fiscal year 2026 as $3,000,164, representing about 7.2% of the budgeted expenses of the Light and Power Fund. He noted the city has used several different calculation methods over the years (including a 10% of metered sales approach) and that the transfer reduces pressure on property taxes by helping fund general services used by non‑property-tax-paying entities.

During the hearing Dr. Ronald Mortensen, PhD, a Bountiful resident, asked a series of detailed questions about the transfer and Bountiful Light & Power rates, seeking: (1) the total amount paid by nonprofit and other non‑property-tax-paying entities to the power system each year; (2) whether non‑property-tax-paying customers pay a special rate to fund the transfer or whether they pay standard…