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Cache County Council approves levy split to reallocate fire tax away from Logan City
Summary
Following a public hearing with at least one opponent, the council approved ordinance 20-26-23 to split the county’s general levy and reallocate the portion funding the county fire district so Logan City (which receives little county fire service) is no longer taxed for that service.
The Cache County Council voted to approve ordinance 20-26-23, a code change that splits part of the county’s general levy so that taxes intended to fund the county fire district are allocated only to areas that receive those services and not levied across Logan City residents who receive minimal county fire protection.
A staff presenter summarized the proposal, saying the change ‘‘does not increase or capture additional taxes’’ but simply reallocates how existing tax revenue is apportioned so that residents who do not receive county fire services are no longer charged for them. The presenter explained the proposal would move the fire-related tax off the general fund allocation and into a separate levy covering county areas that benefit from the service.
At the public hearing Paul Guyman (speaker 17), who lives in unincorporated Cache County, testified he believed the proposal would raise his taxes, saying ‘‘it is indeed a tax increase to my house…it is a 3.4% tax increase to my property.’’ Council members responded with explanations of truth-in-taxation mechanics and said the proposal aims to equalize who pays for services rather than increase overall taxes.
Council members debated proportionality and equity—acknowledging that property values and service usage can make tax changes unintuitive to some residents—and emphasized outreach to explain the change. After discussion, a motion to suspend the rules and pass ordinance 20-26-23 carried on a voice vote.
Council members said the ordinance is intended to be revenue neutral countywide while shifting the tax burden away from Logan City residents who are primarily served by the city’s own fire department. Staff were asked to provide tools for residents to look up their individual tax history and to brief the appropriations/finance committee on implementation details.
