Davis County Commission adopts resolution to exceed certified tax rate, adding about $6.3 million amid public opposition

The Davis County Commission voted to adopt a resolution to levy a property-tax rate that exceeds the certified rate, producing roughly $6.3 million in additional property-tax revenue, after a packed public hearing in which dozens of residents urged commissioners to reject any increase.

Hundreds of residents spoke across overflow rooms and online during the truth-in-taxation hearing, including Jen Brown, who told the commission, “there's definitely been an unequivocal case made tonight that there has been misuse of funds within the county.” Betsy Heeler, a Leighton resident, said she reviewed public payrolls and cited single-year salary jumps she found alarming.

Supporters of no increase repeatedly asked the commission to choose “option 1” — no tax increase — or to pare the tentative budget closely to existing revenue. Clark Ward of Don Quill said residents had “uniformly spoken” against the proposal and urged commissioners to represent voters’ wishes. John Schneider, who operates a family-owned golf course in West Point, said his property taxes rose 28.3% this year and described the increases as a threat to small businesses.

Commissioners and staff framed the decision as a balance between statutory requirements and fiscal necessity. One commissioner explained that state rules require publishing a maximum rate (the 30% figure cited during outreach was the statutory maximum notice, not a final target) and said the board could work down from that number; that same commissioner moved for a 9.9% increase as a compromise during debate.

At the formal vote the commission adopted the statutorily required resolution language to levy a tax rate that exceeds the certified tax rate, stating it would result in an additional $6,300,000 and describing the change as a 14.9% increase in property-tax revenue. The roll call included Commissioner Cross recording a “Nay”; the motion passed by a 2-1 margin.

Commissioners said the tentative budget must be filed by law and that the controller needs a target amount to finalize work. Officials also pointed to constraints created by state mandates and by the way property-tax multipliers distribute revenue among many taxing entities, and warned that cuts alone would not cover multi-million-dollar shortfalls.

The commission closed the public hearing and proceeded directly to discussion and action. After adopting the resolution, the board adjourned.

What happens next: the tentative budget process will continue with the controller using the adopted levy direction to complete budget preparations and any further hearings or formal budget-adoption steps required by state law.