Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
American Fork council records intent on 9% city-level tax increase to fund partial staffing for south-side fire station
Summary
City budget staff told the council the tentative FY2026–27 budget includes a 9% increase to the city’s portion of property taxes that would raise an estimated $660,000 to fund part of staffing for a new south-side fire station; the council adopted the required impact schedule and set public hearings for June 9 and Aug. 11.
American Fork City budget staff told the City Council on May 12 that the tentative fiscal year 2026–27 budget includes a proposed 9% increase to the city’s portion of property taxes to help fund staffing for a planned south-side fire station.
Anna Mononttoya, the city’s budget officer, read the statutorily required statements under Utah Code and explained the numbers: nine new full-time firefighter/paramedic positions are estimated to cost $1,415,000 in salaries and benefits; the proposed 9% city-level increase would generate an estimated $660,000 and would fund roughly four of the nine requested positions. Mononttoya said, “we're trying to grab every dollar we can out of this budget to fund the staffing for this new station.”
Mononttoya gave concrete examples of taxpayer impact based on a median home value of $492,000: the city portion of the proposed change would add about $34 a year for a primary resident and about $61.54 annually for a business at that median value. She told the council the last city tax increase occurred in 2021 and argued the 9% request is below cumulative CPI over the intervening five years.
Why it matters: The action recorded the city’s required truth-in-taxation notices and advanced the budget process, while preserving future public hearings where residents can comment. The council approved a resolution adopting the property tax impact schedule, adopted a resolution approving the tentative budget, and recorded intent to consider a tax rate that could exceed the certified county rate once that figure is released.
Votes and next steps: The council set a public hearing on the tentative budget for June 9, 2026, and a truth-in-taxation hearing for Aug. 11, 2026. The council voted to adopt the property tax impact schedule and the tentative budget during the meeting; staff and council members emphasized additional internal budget reductions are being pursued to cover roughly $750,000 of remaining personnel costs not covered by the proposed increase.
Votes at a glance • Resolution adopting the FY property tax impact schedule (to record a proposed 9% city-level increase; first presented by Anna Mononttoya): motion by Council Member Taylor, second by Council Member Hunter — outcome: approved (recorded attending council members voted in favor). • Resolution adopting the tentative FY2026–27 budget and setting a public hearing for June 9, 2026: motion by Council Member Hunter — outcome: approved. • Resolution stating intent to consider a tax rate that may exceed the certified tax rate and establishing an Aug. 11 truth-in-taxation hearing: outcome: approved.
Context and constraints: Mononttoya cited HB236 and Utah Code 59-2-919 as the statutory framework requiring early notice and transparency in the truth-in-taxation process. She and council members repeatedly noted that adoption of these resolutions records intent and procedural steps but does not by itself finalize a tax-rate change; a later formal adoption after required hearings would be necessary to enact any increase.
The council discussion repeatedly stressed prudence: council members thanked staff for work on a lean budget and said the city was seeking savings while prioritizing response capacity in the southern area of the city. The meeting closed the fiscal items by approving the stated resolutions and setting the required public hearing dates.
