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Mayor presents proposed 2026–27 budget and 12.93% property‑tax revenue increase; council sets work sessions
Summary
Mayor presented a draft budget that would raise roughly $455,000 in property tax revenue (about 12.93% increase) to fund personnel and capital priorities, including a full‑time city attorney, parks seasonal staffing and public‑safety positions; council scheduled work sessions (May 21, June dates) and public hearings (June 18 tentative budget; Aug. 13 truth‑in‑taxation).
The mayor presented the proposed 2026–27 budget at the Brigham City Council meeting and said the fiscal plan would increase property‑tax revenue by approximately $455,000, a 12.93% increase, to support personnel and capital priorities across the city.
The mayor emphasized the budget on the table is a proposal for council review. Key items the administration listed as drivers of the proposed tax increase included funding for a full‑time city attorney (the current contract expires in August), a $110,000 increase to temporary/seasonal parks wages to improve maintenance, $500,000 for possible future fire station land acquisition and $700,000 toward a fire training facility. The presentation also flagged the Forest Street overpass widening and storm drainage projects among major capital priorities.
Staff estimated taxpayer impacts in the meeting: a $400,000 average residential property (prior year) would see annual property tax rise from about $370.80 to roughly $418.76 (an annual increase of $47.96); sample commercial figures were shown in the presentation materials. Staff noted water‑rate adjustments and other utility transfers are accounted for separately and that some capital requests reviewed by departments (about $26.5 million in capital projects and $1.3 million in fleet requests) are not included in the proposed budget because the mayor prioritized a subset of projects for the coming year.
Council set a schedule for deeper review: a pre‑meeting work session on May 21 to begin discussions (proposed topics: water rates, capital projects), additional work sessions through late May/June (candidates include June 11, June 28) and a tentative‑budget public hearing on June 18, followed by the truth‑in‑taxation hearing on Aug. 13 if the council pursues that route. Council asked staff to provide historical personnel‑cost data for the departments identified in the tax proposal (attorney, parks, police IT/administrative support) before the May 21 session.
During public comment, residents pushed for clearer accounting of where past revenue increases were spent and questioned whether existing funds already earmarked for a recreation center would remove the need for a tax increase. Several speakers asked the city to pursue partnerships (for example, with the school district) rather than direct city spending for large recreational facilities. Staff and council reiterated the presentation is the mayor’s recommendation and that council will deliberate, amend and hold public hearings before any tax adoption.
Ending — The council directed staff to prepare requested departmental cost history and work‑session materials and confirmed tentative public‑hearing dates; no final budget or tax adoption occurred at the meeting.
