South Jordan council reviews budget that would add public‑safety staff and could require an 8–10% property‑tax increase

South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey opened the Jan. 7 budget meeting and turned the presentation over to City Manager Dustin Lewis, who framed the upcoming budget around a talent‑retention strategy and a set of position requests aimed primarily at public safety.

Lewis told the council staff began building the budget and staffing requests last fall and that the city’s pay scale has fallen behind regional peers: last year the city awarded a 1% cost‑of‑living adjustment while surrounding jurisdictions provided 3%–6%. He said benchmark analysis shows at least 18 key positions are 5%–20% below market, police pay is roughly 5% behind and fire pay roughly 10% behind comparable agencies.

"If we’re going to make any attempt at getting caught up," Lewis said, "that cost‑of‑living adjustment would have to be somewhere between the 3 and the 5% range," and he recommended targeted merit adjustments to reduce the risk of losing experienced staff.

The staff package requests 13 full‑time equivalents, 11 of which are in public safety: four police officers (two patrol, two traffic), conversion of two part‑time police support positions (records technician and investigations analyst) to full time, three firefighter AEMT positions to begin staffing for a future Station 65, a dedicated fire marshal, and a fire records/data specialist. Other proposed hires include a cybersecurity technician and an associate director of recreation; part‑time requests include a senior‑center driver, four seasonal parks workers and a communications coordinator.

Lewis highlighted workforce figures to justify the package: the city had 53 full‑time separations last year (44 voluntary) and an updated count of 76 employees eligible to retire within five years. He said training capacity and frontline staffing math affect how many new officers actually translate into more street coverage: "to have one officer on the street 24/7 you actually have to hire about 5 officers," the police chief told the council.

Funding gap and options

Finance and management staff told the council they can cover merit and COLA increases with existing revenues and internal savings, but that funding the full public‑safety staffing request would create a material gap. Lewis said the public‑safety portion of the package would require a preliminary property‑tax increase in the neighborhood of 8%–10%; he illustrated that outcome with an example phrased as, "At 8 to 10%, I think it's under $50 a year on the average ... home." The finance staff estimated the city currently generates about $17 million in property‑tax revenue while the police payroll alone runs roughly $25 million, underscoring a structural shortfall.

Councilors debated alternatives to a standalone property‑tax increase. Mayor Dawn Ramsey urged staff to explore strategies to grow the sales‑tax base and other revenue sources so "we don't have to put this burden on existing residents." Options discussed included narrowly targeted user fees, a transportation‑utility fee (TUF), a park or special‑events fee, or creation of a public‑safety district. Staff said some options (for example, a public‑safety district) are not feasible to implement in the current budget year but could be explored for next year; a TUF requires a defensible, use‑based study and has been the subject of case law in Utah.

Several councilors warned that pending state legislation (described in the meeting as a bill by Rep./Sen. Dan McKay) could cap combined annual property‑tax increases at 5%, a change that would limit local flexibility and factor into any revenue decision.

Capital projects and Station 65

Staff told the council most prioritized capital projects can be funded from existing CIP sources, but that debt service for the planned Station 65 will add future obligations. Staff offered a multi‑year approach for the station, and estimated annual debt service in a broad range that the council characterized as significant and dependent on timing.

Next steps and procedural outcome

Council members asked staff to return with specific analyses (revenue modeling, a TUF study scope, legal steps for a district and an updated cemetery‑fee review) and to prepare budget scenarios (plan A and a plan B if legislative limits are imposed). The meeting closed with a motion to adjourn that passed on a voice vote.

Why this matters

The council’s choices on taxes, fees or creation of a special district will determine whether South Jordan can retain a competitive workforce in police, fire and key professional roles without cutting services. Council members emphasized transparency and multi‑year planning as they weigh short‑term employee needs against longer‑term revenue constraints.

The council did not adopt a budget at the meeting; staff will return with detailed numbers and options at future budget workshops.