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Box Elder County auditor outlines 21% county tax increase to shore up general fund
Summary
County auditor presented a proposed increase to the county general-fund property tax (estimated ~21% of the county portion), citing general-fund deficits, lost centrally assessed revenues, rising labor costs, and public-safety needs; no final vote was taken and the commission will revisit the budget on Nov. 19.
Box Elder County’s auditor told residents the county is proposing an increase to the county portion of property taxes to rebuild depleted reserves and cover rising costs.
Charlene Larson, the county auditor, said the county’s general fund has declined and that the proposed adjustment would translate to about $64.87 more per year for a home with an average value of $442,000 and about $117.94 for a business, which she described as a roughly 21% increase to the county portion of property taxes. Larson said recent one-time federal ARPA dollars will not be available after 2025 and that the county recorded nearly $1.7 million less in its general-fund balance in recent actuals. She also told listeners that the county’s largest general-fund expenditure is its sheriff’s department and that labor and public-safety costs are driving budget pressure.
Larson and Chair (speaker 1) also warned of revenue losses from centrally assessed sources: the board reported a likely reduction of about $800,000 related to the Ruby River pipeline and said the county lost roughly $1,000,000 last year in centrally assessed telecommunications revenue. The auditor explained that Utah law limits counties to carrying up to 65% of the general fund as a prudential cap for emergencies.
The commission did not vote on the tax change; it took public comment and said it will continue budget work and consider a tentative decision at a future commission meeting on Nov. 19.
