The Ogden City Council encourages residents to participate in the City budget approval process. There are several remaining opportunities for public input before the Council takes final action on the budget on August 8th.
The Council will host Virtual Town Hall meetings on July 11th at 5:30 and August 1st at 5:00 p.m. Residents can submit their questions and comments about the budget before or during the events on any of the Council’s social media accounts, via email, and by phone.
The Council Chair will begin the Virtual Town Hall meeting discussions on Facebook Live, and Council members and staff will address incoming questions in the video’s comments section, on the Council’s Google+ and LinkedIn pages, and on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #OgdenBudget.
Residents can also provide feedback on the budget during the two remaining public hearings scheduled for July 11th and August 8th at 6 p.m., or by contacting Council members through phone and email.
Among the key elements of the tentative budget, the Council will consider maintaining the existing property tax rate for FY2018, instead of accepting the State Tax Commission’s lower Certified Tax Rate.
“We have all personally experienced the effect of inflation; $20 does not go as far as it did 20 years ago. This is an even greater issue for cities because of Utah’s tax structure,” Council Chair Marcia White said. “Property tax is designed for revenue neutrality, meaning the revenue the City receives stays the same every single year. If we generated $10 million in property tax revenue last year, the State Tax Commission would use their models to adjust the Certified Tax Rate to generate $10 million for this year. As values increase, the property tax rate proportionally decreases. Consequently, we are three decades behind in adjusting for inflation.”
Maintaining the existing tax rate of 0.003103 for FY2018 would generate an additional $808,389 in tax revenue, or 7% more revenue than the Certified Tax Rate of 0.002895. This would enable the City to fund currently unfunded essential services, including public safety and facilities.
Additional Information:
City Council Budget Website: ogdencity.com/budgetprocess
For additional information, please contact Ogden City Council Executive Director Janene Eller-Smith, JaneneEller-Smith@ogdencity.com; 801-629-8153.
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