Draper holds public hearings on proposed 21.41% property-tax increase; no action taken

The Draper City Council held public hearings on a proposed budget that would increase the city's budgeted property-tax revenue by 21.41%, hearing comments from Salt Lake County-side residents and opening, then closing, a Utah County-side hearing with no speakers.

Salt Lake County-side residents described worries about affordability. Sally Kendrick said she and her husband are on fixed incomes and asked whether the city could phase in increases rather than take a single "21% jump all at once," noting rising fuel and utility costs and other pressure on household budgets. David Guston told the council many residents feel the outcome is already decided and that public hearings will not change the result: "They feel like coming to these public hearings won't change anything," he said.

Mayor (speaker 1) and other council members emphasized the proposal was driven by public-safety and personnel needs. The mayor said the council has not raised property taxes in many years and that the increase would go largely to police and fire pay to retain staff. He cited paramedic capability and recruitment difficulties as a central rationale and gave his own property-tax increase as an illustrative figure, saying his tax change was "$111." The mayor also said no formal action would be taken that night.

Why it matters: If the budget is approved, the city would record an aggregate 21.41% increase in its budgeted property-tax revenue. Residents on fixed incomes and others expressed concern about timing and cumulative costs, while the council framed the proposal as necessary to retain trained first responders and maintain public-safety service levels.

What happens next: The hearing was for public comment only; the council closed both hearings and took no final vote on the budget increase at this meeting.