Bluff council proposes $50,000 property tax increase to fund emergency services; public outreach planned

Bluff Mayor Josh Ewing announced on May 5 that the town is proposing a tentative FY2027 budget that includes a property tax increase expected to generate an additional $50,000 to support emergency services.

Ewing, acting as Budget Officer, read the statutory notice required under Utah law and said the proposed change would raise Bluff’s certified tax rate from about 0.000545104 to roughly 0.00113663. The additional $50,000 would bring the town’s total property tax collections to an estimated $83,186 and would fund a part‑time Emergency Services Administrative Manager position plus routine maintenance, equipment and other emergency‑service expenses. Ewing said the town will hold a duly noticed public hearing on any final tax increase in early August 2026 at the Bluff Community Center and virtually via Zoom.

The town packet provided example impacts: an owner‑occupied home with a market value of $233,800 would see an estimated $105.61 annual increase; a $500,000 home would see an estimated $225.85 increase. Business property examples in the packet included estimated annual increases such as $364.32 on a $443,600 business parcel. The packet stated the additional revenue would remain in the Emergency Services budget line if adopted, though council discussion noted the town could later reallocate funds only as allowed by law.

The proposal followed a county presentation on San Juan County Emergency Medical Services funding. Jeremy Hoggard, San Juan County EMS Director, told the council that county EMS faces rising costs, low reimbursement rates and staffing challenges. Hoggard said San Juan County’s 2026 EMS budget is about $1.06 million, with projected income of roughly $707,309 and staff costs near $734,636, and that a proposed 1% rural health care sales tax on the November ballot could generate an estimated $1.2 million for county EMS operations and capital needs. Hoggard said about 37% of EMS calls come from visitors or outside the immediate service area, bolstering his argument that a sales tax would spread costs more broadly than a property tax.

At the start of public comment, Gary Lichtenstein, who identified himself as a former Bluff Fire Department assistant chief and owner of Quality Evaluation Designs, urged the council to clarify what outcomes the town expects from any additional revenue and questioned whether $50,000 would be sufficient. Lichtenstein asked whether portions of the revenue would go to staffing versus equipment (he cited a rough local estimate of $230,000 for a sustainable fire department) and pressed the council to define staffing and liability implications.

Mayor Ewing said the conversation is just beginning and pointed to a May 19 open house for community questions, followed by the required public hearings. The council adopted the tentative FY2027 budget at the same meeting (Resolution #103) and set the date for the formal budget public hearing for June 2, 2026. The final tax decision will follow the public outreach and statutory notice process.