West Valley City Council adopts FY2026 budget, approves property-tax adjustment for public safety

The West Valley City Council on Aug. 19 adopted the FY2026 budget and approved a property-tax adjustment tied to public-safety funding, passing "resolution or ordinance 25-107" by a 6–1 roll-call vote.

Finance Director Jim Welch told the council the city’s total budget is about $170,000,000 and that roughly 69% of city revenues come from sales and property taxes, with the remaining revenue from utility taxes and user fees. Welch said the city’s portion of the proposed property-tax adjustment totals about $2,900,000, representing a 7.7% change in the city’s portion and about a 1.7% change in the overall consolidated tax bill presented by the county.

The hearing drew multiple residents who urged officials to consider individual hardship and clarify how valuations and the consolidated notice affect bills. "This is one of the people that you’re affecting with this huge increase on property tax," said resident Donna Martin, who said her condo’s county valuation and the resulting increase would be ‘‘overwhelming’’ on her fixed income. Martin cited online estimates and recent sales that she said were lower than the county valuation and asked the council to reconsider the increase for people in similar situations.

Welch and City Manager Peely responded to concerns about the size of the increase and how valuations are set. Welch said the county, not the city, sets property valuations and described the county protest process: homeowners may submit sales comparisons and documentation to request a valuation review. "If you feel that that’s incorrect, that appeals process is very effective," Welch said. He also acknowledged that multiple entities on the county’s consolidated notice (for example, school districts and special districts) contribute to the total amount shown on a taxpayer’s bill.

A member of the public asked whether West Valley City is a sanctuary city and whether tax dollars would be used to "shield illegal aliens." City Manager Peely answered that the city has not adopted any ordinance or resolution designating it a sanctuary city and that staff has not put in place any policy to limit cooperation with federal agencies. "We are not a sanctuary city," Peely said, adding that there is no programming in West Valley City that goes to shielding immigration enforcement.

Welch also addressed a separate concern about a cited "62%" figure, saying the raw dollar amount residents had seen may be correct for the change they personally face but that the percentage figure can be misleading without accounting for the underlying valuation changes and other taxing entities. He directed residents to an interactive page on the city’s finance website that estimates how valuation changes affect individual tax bills and shows how the city’s share is allocated among services.

After public comment closed, a council member moved to approve "resolution or ordinance 25-107"; another council member seconded. During roll call, Council member Wood, Council member Whetstone, Council member Harmon, Council member Christensen, Council member Nordfeldt and Mayor Ling voted yes; Council member Hune voted no. The motion carried by majority.

Welch and staff pointed residents toward available assistance programs, including a county circuit-breaker program for low-income homeowners, and urged residents who believe their valuation is incorrect to contact the county assessor before the protest deadline (staff said the county deadline in this hearing was September 15).

The council said there was no need for closed session and adjourned. The council announced its next meeting on the 26th.