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Kane County commissioners unanimously oppose Willow feasibility finding, cite inflated growth and public-safety gaps
Summary
Kane County adopted Resolution R2025-41 opposing a lieutenant governor–commissioned feasibility study for a proposed preliminary municipality called Willow, saying a later draft reversed an earlier finding and included unrealistic taxable-value and service assumptions, especially for fire protection.
Kane County commissioners on Nov. 25 adopted Resolution R2025-41 opposing a preliminary municipality feasibility study for a proposed community east of Kanab known as Willow.
Taylor, who presented the draft resolution, told the commission the feasibility review initially concluded the proposed municipality was not feasible, but a later draft reversed that assessment after “changing a lot of the numbers,” producing what the county described as implausible projections. A passage read into the record cites a projected taxable-value increase “from approximately $3,000 to over $81,000,000 in a single year” as an example of a figure the county says lacks market justification.
Why it matters: If a preliminary municipality were to proceed, Kane County could inherit responsibilities for services that the fledgling entity could not sustain, officials said. Commissioners stressed the importance of accurate growth and revenue estimates and expressed particular concern about emergency services.
Commissioner Brown said the study appears to assume the Vermilion Cliffs Special Service District would provide fire protection, but the district currently contracts with Kanab City and has no plans to annex or immediately provide independent fire service. “There’s no way they could do it within a year,” Brown said, describing staffing and capital constraints.
Taylor and other commissioners urged the lieutenant governor’s office and the firm that prepared the study to reexamine their methodology, and the commission said it will submit a formal redline review. Commissioners noted the public comment window and study timeline offered little time for a coordinated county response; staff said the draft feasibility report had a very short comment period and that the county missed the initial deadline for input due to the timing of the documents.
The commission adopted the resolution unanimously. The commission also said it will notify the public when a related public hearing is scheduled and make the county’s objections and supporting data available on the county website.
Next steps: County staff and the commission’s attorney will continue redlining the draft and prepare formal comments to send to the lieutenant governor’s office ahead of any further public hearings.
