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Brian Head pauses Transportation Utility Fee; council seeks resort input before moving forward
Summary
After a presentation showing a legally permissible TUF up to about $684,000 annually, the council reached consensus to remove the TUF from the FY2027 budget and to work with the ski resort and staff on a legally durable, equitable fee structure.
Consultants and town staff presented the findings of a Transportation Utility Fee study to the Brian Head Town Council on May 12 that proposed charging monthly equivalent residential units (ERUs) to help close the town's road-funding gap. Marcus Keller of Cruze and Associates said the study calculated a legal maximum TUF near $684,000 per year (about $30 per month per ERU) but recommended a $12-per-month-per-ERU fee that would raise roughly $270,553 annually.
Town Manager Bret Howser explained the $270,000 target reflected a $160,000 shortfall in the pavement management plan plus an $86,000 shortfall for gravel-road maintenance. Staff also presented a lower, $100,000 scenario with a 75% commercial discount that would equate to roughly $6.50 per month per ERU for most single-family homes.
Public commenters expressed mixed views. Jim Vincent, a cabin owner, said he supported the TUF as a way to fund roads. Tom Pettigrew, general manager of Brian Head Resort, said the resort is not opposed to addressing road funding but urged staff and council to refine the structure before adoption. He asked staff to consider three issues before the June 9 meeting: whether the ERU method adequately accounts for the resort's existing enhanced-service business-fee contributions (the resort already supports shuttle and snow-removal services), whether ERU/lift-based calculations incorrectly attribute traffic that primarily uses State Route 143 (a UDOT highway) to town roads, and to meet with staff to ensure any ordinance will be legally durable.
Bret Howser said a lift-ticket surcharge would carry legal risk and that Utah's legal framework (municipal taxing authority under state law) favors TUF structures tied to road impact. Council members agreed the concept has merit but that Brian Head's unique visitor and access patterns complicate a standard ERU approach. The council reached consensus to remove the TUF from the FY2027 budget, continue work on a revised structure, and explore a small working group that could include resort representation; staff noted a TUF could be adopted mid-year by amendment if a suitable, legally durable framework is developed.
Next steps: staff will meet with stakeholders to refine the TUF proposal and return recommendations; the Council will not include the TUF in the June 9 budget it adopts.
