Snyderville Basin Cemetery District wins council approval to proceed with Truth-in-Taxation; proposed first-year levy ~ $495,000

The Snyderville Basin Cemetery District — newly formed to create a public cemetery serving the Snyderville Basin — presented its mission, outreach, preferred site and a first-year budget proposal to the council acting as the appointing authority.

"This would be the first time the Snyderville Basin Cemetery District is gonna be proposing a tax," said Max Greenall, the board’s chair, describing the district’s outreach and the state-mandated notice process. The district said it had sent more than 15,000 notices to basin property owners and businesses about the proposed levy.

Key points from the presentation: - Budget and uses: The board proposed a 2025 budget of about $495,000 to establish basic operations and initial capital/land work; roughly $98,000 was presented as first-year operating expense and the remainder as seed capital for land acquisition and site preparation. - Preferred site and feasibility: The board identified a preferred roughly 12-acre parcel adjacent to the Olympic Parkway (county-owned UOP/open-space parcel). Geotechnical test pits on the site did not encounter bedrock and generally showed suitable soils for phased cemetery development. - Service model and phasing: The district proposed a minimal-footprint cemetery emphasizing low-profile memorialization, conservation-style areas and connectivity to existing trails; it expects to phase work and consider plot sales and niche (columbarium) products as ongoing revenue sources.

Public commenters raised multiple concerns: conservation/open-space protection, whether the county should sell vs. grant open land for a cemetery, permanent taxation rather than a time-limited bond, parking and traffic near Kimball Junction, and eligibility/priority rules for who may use the cemetery. Board members said eligibility and business rules remain to be defined in subsequent public hearings and that the board plans further community outreach.

Council action: after the public hearing and discussion, the council adopted the Snyderville Basin Cemetery District’s Truth-in-Taxation resolution, clearing the way for the district’s December 5 budget hearing and possible local levy adoption. The resolution passed with an affirmative vote.

What’s next: the cemetery district will hold its legally required budget hearing (December 5) and may refine the budget, business rules, site plans and eligibility criteria; council will receive follow-up briefings and public input as the district completes environmental and planning approvals.