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Commissioners warn House Bill 48 will saddle counties with WUI inspections and potential new costs
Summary
Commissioners said House Bill 48’s wildland-urban-interface requirements could force annual parcel inspections, fines and hiring of compliance inspectors, possibly increasing local property assessments and administrative burden; they discussed working with state legislators to repeal or amend the law.
Several county commissioners used their reports to flag House Bill 48, a state-level wildland-urban-interface (WUI) modification, as an urgent concern for Iron County.
Commissioners said the bill—along with rules to be written by the state—appears to require counties to annually inspect every parcel that falls within the WUI and to levy fines for noncompliance. One commissioner said the bill’s default assessment would start at about $0.20 per square foot, which could raise property taxes by several hundred dollars per household in some cases.
"It's a nightmare," one commissioner said, describing a likely scenario in which counties must hire inspectors to meet the mandate and fund the work with fines. Another said the bill was not on anyone's radar when it passed and that many legislators were surprised to learn of the requirement.
Commissioners discussed options including pursuing repeal or legislative relief and preparing for the bill’s January 1 implementation date. Several said they would address the issue in upcoming budget hearings and coordinate with other counties and the state to clarify rules and funding mechanisms.
The commission did not take formal action on HB48 during the meeting but flagged the item for follow-up in the budget process and potential legislative outreach.
