Davis County notifies residents of proposed nearly 30% property tax increase

FARMINGTON — Cities and counties all over the state are proposing new budgets this fall; Davis County is proposing one of the largest property tax hikes in the state, a nearly 30% increase. Residents were officially notified of that potential change this week through a letter.

Davis County officials said they haven't raised taxes for general operations costs in nearly a decade, but that inflation and salary increases have simply gotten too high to cover.

"They came yesterday in the mail, and I was shocked," North Salt Lake homeowner Paul Singleton said. "It's just a massive, massive increase, and we're on a fixed income."

Singleton and his wife have owned their home for 10 years and said they love their community, but their property taxes have risen steadily as home values in their area have gotten higher and higher.

Davis County is proposing a $12.7 million increase to the county budget, 29.97%. It said that would work out to about $8.37 per month for the average household.

The Singleton's letter from the county states their estimated yearly tax will be almost $350.

"If we don't get some new revenue, we're not going to be able to continue to provide the existing level of service that we're already providing," Davis County Controller Scott Parke explained.

Parke said inflation and salary increases for law enforcement are some of the county's biggest ticket items right now; operational costs are rising faster than revenue is coming in. Davis County is hosting three public hearings over the next month for residents, before the County Commission will vote on the exact tax increase in early December.

"Our hope is that we can come in a little under that. That said, there are a lot of demands for services," Parke said.

"We just have a hard time figuring out how we're going to keep up with these types of tax increases. When our income doesn't keep up with it," Singleton said.

Find exact dates and locations of the public hearings, plus additional information about the proposal on Davis County's Truth in Taxation web page.

Related topics