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Rich County commission adopts 2026 budget, raises wages and reauthorizes sales taxes
Summary
The Rich County Commission unanimously adopted the county's 2026 general fund and sanitation budgets, approved a $3-per-hour cost-of-living increase and raised the starting wage to $22.50, and reauthorized several local sales-tax measures including the quarter-cent county option and a fixed guideway tax. Commissioners also approved benefit-provider changes.
The Rich County Commission on Dec. 10 adopted the county's 2026 budgets and a series of related measures after a public hearing and discussion about revenues, fund balance and tourism-related pass-through projects.
During the hearing commissioners discussed revenue uncertainty as federal ARPA funds taper and described the county's approach to balancing operations by drawing on and replenishing fund balance. The commission adopted the following measures by voice vote:
- Adoption of 2026 tax rates for county operations (general operations 0.000469; multi-county assessing and collecting 0.000014; local assessing and collecting 0.000191). - Adoption of the general fund budget as presented (transcript shows the figure read as "$13,000,000.59455"). - Adoption of a 2026 sanitation budget (approx. $1,300,000). - A countywide wage increase: a $3-per-hour cost-of-living increase for part-time and full-time county employees, with the starting wage increased from $21 to $22.50 per hour. - Authorization to pay 100% of Utah retirement rates for 2026 and a change in employee health-insurance provider to a private provider package described in the record as SelectHealth (medical), Delta (dental/vision) and Hartford (life insurance). - Reauthorization of a quarter-cent county option sales tax and a separate fixed-guideway sales tax for 2026.
Commissioners said the wage steps were intended to improve recruitment and retention, and the record shows the sheriff's deputies will receive raises that together were referenced as about $10 per hour compared with a year earlier once all scheduled steps take effect. Commissioners also approved using TRT (tourism-related tax) pass-through dollars for projects in Garden City and other local capital needs and earmarked TRT or related funds for sanitation equipment and fire-district assistance.
All motions were moved, seconded and carried by unanimous voice vote as recorded in the minutes.
What happens next: Staff will publish the adopted budget documents and implement wage and benefits changes aligned with payroll and HR timelines. Capital purchases already approved (Caterpillar, Bobcat skid steer and attachments) will proceed with procurement and delivery arrangements.
