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Cache County Council approves new fire-district levy to equalize fire taxes, shield Logan residents
Summary
The council approved Ordinance 2026-23 to create a separate Fire Suppression Services Fund that moves fire-related taxes out of the general fund and allocates revenue by tax footprint; the change is intended to stop double taxation for Logan residents and will be implemented via interlocal agreements with cities.
Cache County on Tuesday approved a new levy to fund Fire and Emergency Medical Services across the county, a measure county leaders said aims to stop Logan residents from paying duplicate municipal and county fire taxes. The council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 2026-23 after hearing a workshop briefing on district operations earlier in the day.
County Executive George Daines told the council a tax shift is needed because Logan City residents have long borne municipal fire levies while also contributing through county general-fund allocations, a situation he said amounts to double taxation. Daines said the county will create a separate Fire Suppression Services Fund to collect taxes for unincorporated areas and distribute proceeds to cities under interlocal agreements. He said the district will retain roughly 10% of first-year collections — an amount the staff estimates at about $300,000 to $400,000 — for countywide administration, training and wildland-fire support.
“Right now incorporated and unincorporated residents are treated inconsistently,” Daines said. “This creates a rational allocation so those who receive municipal-level services contribute commensurately.”
Councilmember David Erickson pressed officials on whether unincorporated residents would see higher taxes without corresponding service increases, a concern that Executive Daines and staff said will be addressed through the interlocal distribution agreements and annual reporting. Legal counsel reminded the council that under state law an appointed fire board may raise taxes only after a Truth in Taxation process and an open public hearing; the county also noted the Cache County Fire Protection Board is contractually required to transition to an elected board by May 2028.
Wellsville Mayor Chad Lindley, speaking during the workshop, thanked county staff for navigating the restructuring and urged continued stakeholder input. Vice Chair Kathryn Beus and other council members asked for clarity on high-risk parcels and how costs for remote zones will be apportioned.
The council’s action was made by motion to suspend the rules and approve Ordinance 2026-23; the motion passed 7–0. According to the county presentation, funds collected under the new levy will be legally restricted to Fire/EMS use and distributed to municipalities by tax footprint through interlocal agreements.
The ordinance takes effect 15 days after adoption; county staff said additional implementation details — including the interlocal agreements and reporting requirements — will be brought back for review before collections begin.
