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County exploring fire-district voucher plan; Richmond to evaluate impact
Summary
Mayor Jeff Young briefed the council on a Cache County proposal to have the county collect fire-district property tax and distribute vouchers to cities so local governments can choose how to provide fire and EMS services; a mayors' meeting on April 27, 2026 was announced for further discussion.
Mayor Jeffrey D. Young updated the Richmond City Council on April 21 about a Cache County proposal to restructure how property tax for the Cache County Fire District (CCFD) is collected and distributed.
Under the concept described by the mayor, the CCFD would collect property tax revenue and distribute funds to cities (excluding unincorporated areas) as vouchers. Cities would then have the option to allocate those funds for local fire and EMS services—Richmond could continue contracting with the Smithfield Fire Department or select another arrangement. The mayor noted the County is still developing details; Mr. Lewis said the plan would set a baseline mill levy and reallocate specific mill-levy components between the County General Fund and the Fire District levy.
A mayors’ meeting to discuss the proposal was scheduled for April 27, 2026, and Richmond staff will review the details and return further analysis to the council at a later meeting. Councilmembers expressed concern about preserving local control and avoiding unintended cost growth.
