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Central Utah Water Board Seeks $2M Through Truth-in-Taxation; Council Hears Infrastructure Risks
Summary
Central Utah Water Conservancy District told the Salt Lake County Council the board will pursue a truth-in-taxation adjustment estimated to raise about $2 million for projects including a $100M Alpine aqueduct relocation and a $95M groundwater polishing plant; officials said average Salt Lake County household impact would be roughly $2.17/year.
Bartley Flang, assistant general manager of the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, told the Salt Lake County Council on July 14 that the district is seeking to pursue Truth-in-Taxation to close a $2 million revenue gap needed for major infrastructure work.
"Our board has opted to pursue truth in taxation," Flang said, describing a proposal that would raise certified revenue by roughly $2,000,000. He told the council the increase would translate to about $0.18 per month—or roughly $2.17 per year—for an average home valued at $658,000. Flang framed the request alongside a multi-billion-dollar portfolio of federal and nonfederal infrastructure the district operates, including reservoirs used for wildfire suppression and hydroelectric plants.
Flang outlined major projects that the district says justify the funding. He described the Alpine relocation as a $100,000,000 earthquake- and landslide-resilience project that would tunnel under slow-moving landslides and use specialized fittings to allow a large-diameter pipeline to survive offset on the Wasatch Fault. He also said the district completed a roughly $95,000,000 groundwater polishing plant to remove iron and manganese from well water serving north Utah County and parts of Salt Lake County.
Council members asked about the district's revenue mix and options for leaning more on user fees instead of property tax. One councilor noted that about a third of the district's revenue is tax-based and suggested shifting toward fee-based funding to discourage wasteful water use. Flang replied that Central Utah is a wholesaler and does not set retail customer fees; it works with municipalities that do. He also said much of the district's capital work depends on pursuing grant funding, including FEMA dollars for the Alpine Aqueduct resilience work.
Flang announced Truth-in-Taxation hearings the district plans to hold Aug. 24 in Roosevelt, Aug. 25 in Orem (both at 6 p.m.), and a final hearing and board meeting on Aug. 26 at 1 p.m. The presentation provided councilors context on asset condition, funding shortfalls, and conservation outreach the district said has increased by more than 30% in Salt Lake County this year.
The council did not take a formal action on the tax question at the July 14 meeting; Flang described the presentation as informational and invited follow-up questions and staff coordination.
