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Washington Terrace proposes 7.3% property tax rate increase to fund sheriff contract
Summary
At a May 19 council meeting Washington Terrace officials presented a tentative FY2026-27 budget that includes a proposed property tax rate increase from 0.001667 to 0.001799, estimated to raise $98,100 to fund contractual increases for law enforcement services with the Weber County Sheriff’s Office; the move triggers further public hearings under Utah’s truth-in-taxation process.
Washington Terrace leaders on Tuesday presented a tentative FY2026-27 budget that would raise the city’s property tax rate from 0.001667 to 0.001799, a proposed 7.3% increase estimated to generate $98,100 to cover contractual increases for law-enforcement services purchased from the Weber County Sheriff’s Office.
Tom, the city’s presenting staff member, read the required property tax impact schedule during the public meeting and said the proposal would raise the city’s projected property tax revenue from $1,350,283 to $1,448,383. He said the increase is intended to fund the police budget and noted the city must give public notice and hold a truth-in-taxation hearing before any final rate is adopted.
The city provided estimated impacts: on a primary residence with a taxable value of $409,000 the change was estimated at about $29.61 annually; a business with the same valuation was estimated to see a $53.83 increase. Tom emphasized the presentation is part of the required tentative-budget notice and that the truth-in-taxation process will allow additional public comment.
During the public hearing a resident, Euless Goldene, urged caution about tax increases and said many residents distrust government after recent events elsewhere: “Why should we trust anyone? … Maybe we need to join Riverdale City, and we could do away with all of the public, of the top management, and cut what we pay in taxes,” she said. Council members and staff responded by pointing to required steps in the budget process and to available transparency tools; one councilor noted employee pay information is published annually on Utah’s transparency website.
Why it matters: the proposed increase is targeted to cover contractual costs in the police budget and will move forward through statutorily required public hearings. The council did not adopt the rate at the meeting; next steps include the truth-in-taxation hearing and final budget adoption later in the approval schedule.
The tentative budget presentation and property tax impact schedule were delivered as part of the City Council meeting’s public hearing on May 19, 2026; further hearings and the formal adoption process will follow as required by Utah law.
