Jordan Valley board member warns of likely property-tax increase; Herriman wholesale rate to fall slightly

Andy Perucci, who represents Herriman and Riverton on the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District board, briefed the Herriman City Council on May 28 about a proposed district budget that he said will likely include a property-tax increase.

"There is going to very likely be a property tax increase from the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District," Perucci said, adding that Herriman would see an overall wholesale rate cut of about 1.5% under the current proposed rate design while some zone surcharges shift.

Perucci said the district saved about $700,000 a year after the removal of fluoride and that he advocated using some of those savings to reduce property-tax impacts. He said the proposed property-tax increase would be around an 11% raise in the district's property-tax levy and would bring in roughly $3.3 million; the proposed budget would be considered for adoption on June 4 with a truth-in-taxation hearing expected on Aug. 13.

Perucci described the district's capital program — he cited roughly $82.9 million in capital projects in the 2025–26 budget package — and argued the district should align revenue sources so customers 'pay for what they're using' rather than subsidizing public-benefit components through property taxes. He also criticized built-in long-term assumptions that automatically included rate and property-tax increases each year in the district's 10-year plan.

On rates, Perucci said Herriman will see a net wholesale decrease of $10.36 (per acre-foot in the example he cited), while one zone surcharge (CS) would increase by $1.23 and a DS zone surcharge would decrease by $4.54; he noted meter-size charges would not change.

Perucci said he voted against the budget proposal at the board level and urged the council to follow developments. He pointed to personnel costs (a proposed 5% pay increase at the district) and discretionary capital projects that, in his view, could be staggered or reprioritized.

Council members thanked Perucci for the update and said the study the district conducted bolsters arguments for greater accountability in how public-benefit costs are funded.

Perucci encouraged council members to review the board packet and said specific project benefits to Herriman include the Southwest Aqueduct and Rosecrest Road transmission upgrades, which he said will help local capacity and reliability.

The district is expected to vote to adopt the budget and rates on June 4; the council will monitor the outcome and any truth-in-taxation hearings.