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UFSA and Unified Fire present phase-2 tax increase to Brighton council, citing inflation and staffing needs
Summary
UFSA and Unified Fire Authority officials told Brighton council that rising costs, wage pressure and capital needs justify a phased tax increase; presenters estimated the total effect at about $93 per average home annually and urged residents to attend a Dec. 10 public hearing.
Representatives of the Unified Fire Service Area (UFSA) and Unified Fire Authority told the Brighton Town Council that continuing inflation, wage pressures and capital-replacement costs require a second phase of a previously discussed tax increase.
Rachel Anderson, UFSA district administrator and legal counsel, summarized the proposal and said the packet shows how the district plans to use the revenue. Chief Burchett (Unified Fire Authority) and Tony Hill (UFSA chief financial officer) gave updated figures: the UFSA presentation used a $525,000 average residential value and presented a total increase equal to roughly $7.77 per month (about $93 per year) for that average property. Hill said the increase would raise a little over $5,000,000 to cover inflationary needs and about $6,300,000 for additional staffing — a combined total the presentation listed at approximately $11,400,000 in additional property tax revenue.
Chief Burchett emphasized rising equipment and construction costs — turnouts up about 86% in six years and ladder-truck prices up nearly 69% — and argued the increase will preserve minimum fund balances and keep response times within targets, particularly in fast-growing areas such as Kearns and Eagle Mountain. Hill showed fund-balance projections and warned that without the increase the service area could fall below its board-approved minimums.
Council members asked procedural and timing questions about municipal approvals and the distinction between UFSA (fire) and law-enforcement service-area processes. Anderson reminded council that the law-enforcement statute requires member entities’ votes to approve a tax increase while Unified Fire has a reporting requirement. The council later recorded municipal approval for the law-enforcement service-area rate via resolution 2024-R-10-1; UFSA scheduled a public hearing for Dec. 10 at UFA headquarters with a Zoom option for residents to comment.
Next steps: UFSA will continue outreach and notices; Brighton will file municipal approvals and notify residents about the Dec. 10 public hearing.
