Utah County commission tentatively adopts 2021 budget that assumes tax-rate decrease

The Utah County Board of County Commissioners voted to tentatively adopt the county’s 2021 budget during a regular meeting, approving the draft 3-0 and sending it back to staff for final review.

Amelia Powers Gardner, identified in the meeting as the presenter and budget staff, told the commission the document before them was the tentative budget: “The budget I put forward to you is a balanced budget,” she said, adding the draft reflects estimated revenues and accountings for contractual obligations and personnel costs. Gardner said staff included a portion placed into restricted funds for department requests that may be brought to the commission next year.

Gardner and other staff said the tentative budget assumes a decrease in the county tax rate and therefore would not trigger a truth-in-taxation process under the current estimates. “This budget does include a tax rate decrease for the citizens of Utah County,” Gardner said. She also briefed commissioners that the document is an initial proposal and that staff will work with commissioners to adjust line items over the next six weeks before a final budget is adopted.

A commissioner made the motion to review and tentatively adopt the 2021 tentative budget for the general fund and other budgetary funds (agenda item 10); the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote recorded as 3-0 in favor. The commission did not identify individual vote names during the audio-recorded roll call.

Next steps: staff will continue line-item reviews with commissioners and return a finalized budget for consideration before the statutory deadlines governing tentative and final budgets.