County officials outline 1% rural health sales tax proposal to fund 911 dispatch

County officials and local mayors laid out a proposal on Tuesday for a voter-approved 1% rural-county health sales tax to pay for expanding and modernizing the countypublic safety answering point (PSAP) and 911 dispatch services. Commissioner Bennett, who opened the town hall, said the county faces "unfunded mandates" from the state and must choose how to cover rising costs while minimizing the burden on residents.

Neil Johnson, the countyPSAP director, described the operational drivers for the request and the technical mandate that PSAPs be able to communicate statewide via the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system by 2029. "We used to run PSAP with one person," Johnson said. "Now with technology and some of these mandates...we can no longer do that. Text to 911, video to 911...it takes two people." He told the meeting that the county now pays "just under $12,000" for its current CAD connection but that countywide costs will rise to roughly $175,000 a year under the statewide interoperability changes, with additional first-year setup expenses.

Mayor of Centerfield (speaking as a presenter) and other officials described the rural-county health-care facilities sales tax as a local-option sales tax authorized under Utah law and said the commission would dedicate any revenue from the proposed tax to the PSAP. Officials estimated that a passed 1% levy could yield about $450,000 to $500,000 annually, and that roughly 15% to 22% of the revenue would be paid by visitors rather than residents. They also noted that the county receives an average of about $205,000 a year from 911 phone disbursements that would continue to offset the budget.

Public attendees raised concerns about the effect of an added sales tax on seniors and residents on fixed incomes and urged officials to consider budget cuts as an alternative. One resident said raising a permanent tax carries risks for people who already struggle to pay utility and property bills. Officials responded that the county is operating on a tight budget, that the commission had offered to cover about 40% of the initial shortfall (roughly $331,000), and that they would monitor tax revenues for two years and revisit options if receipts lagged.

Officials said the proposal, if advanced by the commission, would go on the November ballot, would take effect Jan. 1, 2027 if approved, and would run for 10 years before requiring renewal. A public hearing to consider passing a resolution to place the tax on the ballot is scheduled for June 30. Presenters encouraged residents to review budget materials, ask questions at upcoming town halls, and use provided QR links to examine the statute referenced by officials.

The county emphasized that the tax would be dedicated to dispatch and that elected leaders committed to public reporting if the use of funds changed. The next procedural steps are the June 30 public hearing on the resolution and additional informational meetings planned before the November vote.