Spencer, [clears throat] you can come up
while we're waiting.
Okay.
We'll go to public hearing item number
one, uh public hearing related actions.
The council will accept public comment
and may approve the following items.
Item number one, public hearing on the
proposed tax increase for the city of
Saratoga Springs.
I have to read this first.
Uh the city of Saratoga Springs is
proposing a 50.03 property tax increase
for an additional [clears throat] 3.1
million
in revenue that will be generated each
year
by the proposed increase in the
certified tax rate to point 001467
for the purpose of funding public safety
with the intended use of additional fire
and police services. Spencer.
>> All right. Good evening, um
Evening, Mayor and Council. If it makes
you guys feel better, um last time we
did truth in taxation for the city here,
I was in high school. Um
so, it's been a while.
Um as the Mayor
um stated, this is a proposed property
tax increase as part of fiscal year
2026-2027.
Um it is um
the city is asking for 3.1 million in
additional property tax revenue. So,
it's approximately a 50% increase. Um it
would So, right now, without the
property tax increase, our property tax
rate would be point 000978.
Um and with the increase, it proposed
increase would be point 001467.
Um any questions for staff at this time?
» No.
>> I
Can I say one thing, Chris?
>> What?
>> Spencer, can can I say one thing?
>> Yeah, go ahead.
>> Can you translate that? I mean, we're
all talking about the 50% but can we ask
on the median income, like on a 500,000,
what does that mean?
>> So, as part of the um
presentation that we have to do, the
property tax impact schedule,
um the state requires us to do it on a I
believe it was a median median average
home, which is 541,873,000
City of Saratoga Springs. Um, that would
be an approximately $145
increase per year.
Um, so versus what you're already over
you're already paying for the city.
>> Okay, thank you.
>> Yeah, thanks Spencer.
We'll move to the public hearing.
So,
I'm going to open the public hearing for
public hearing item one. Please be
respectful in your comments. Please
limit your comments to 3 minutes. Time
may not be given to another commenter.
Please avoid repetitive comments.
Uh, we do have currently 11 people
signed up in the room for public
comment. I will go down the list. We
also have
uh, submitted public comments that we
will read and then we potentially will
have online public comments. We will
start with the in-room comments. We're
going to start with Julie King.
You have 3 minutes.
» [clears throat]
» It just please push the button.
» My name is Julie King and I've been a
resident of Saratoga Springs for 21
years.
We were here when Governor Herbert cut
the ribbon on Pioneer Crossing. My
children have attended five schools in
Saratoga Springs and one school in Lehi.
We have lived through a tremendous
amount of growth and we have a pretty
good idea of what is coming.
I also have a unique perspective because
I'm an elected official. I have been in
the seats you are sitting in now and
I've gone through the truth and taxation
process multiple times. I know what
happens behind the scenes. I know the
hundreds of hours spent pouring over
budgets, looking for efficiencies,
trying to find resources with limited
dollars, and making difficult decisions
about what can and cannot be funded.
I also understand the responsibility of
taking care of employees and making sure
they they fairly compensated while being
mindful of the impact on families and
their household budgets.
>> [clears throat]
>> A few weeks ago, I stood outside
watching a wildfire creep closer and
closer to our brand new high school. I
saw firefighters save homes and save our
high school.
Our firefighters and those who provided
mutual aid from other municipalities not
only saved the school, they saved our
district money in costs and delays in
that school opening.
Thank you.
Um I also have another perspective that
I think is important. I am now working
in the very city office building that
the city has made work for many years.
I have seen how that space has been
repurposed, rearranged, and reconsidered
again and again to make it work. And I
think that is a pretty good metaphor for
Saratoga Springs. We make it work. We
make do.
We stretch what we have just a little
bit farther. And for a long time, that's
been the right thing to do. But I think
we've reached a point where we need to
be honest about the scale of what is
coming.
The Lake Mountain School District has
completed a 15-year capital plan based
on the growth we anticipate in Saratoga
Springs and Eagle Mountain. We're
estimating that we will need to build 17
schools in 15 years.
To say it again, 17 schools in 15 years.
That growth does not just affect the
school district, it also affects the
city.
When we open our new high school in
2028, we're going to ask the city to
provide a school resource officer. And
that will be true for every secondary
school, every middle school, and every
high school we open. When we build
elementary schools, the city will be
asked to provide crossing guards. More
schools means more roads, more traffic,
more public safety needs, more parks,
more infrastructure, and more demand for
the services that only the city
provides.
We are one community. The decisions we
make in one level of government have
consequences for the others. I know this
council's focused on being careful
stewards of taxpayer dollars, but I also
think we have to recognize that a 2008
dollar is not the same as a 2026 dollar.
At some point, that making do becomes
falling behind.
At some point, stretching what we have
becomes asking our employees to do more
with less, delaying necessary
investments, or shifting costs into the
future.
We have made it work. We have made do.
I believe we need to make thoughtful
investments today so that we aren't
paying a much higher price for deferred
decisions tomorrow. As a resident and a
tax-paying individual, I want you to
know that I support the proposed
certified tax rate. Thank you.
>> Thank you. I just want to verify with
staff that
we're running the clock.
Correct. Okay.
All right. Next we have Daniel Dunham. I
will try and get everybody's name right.
And Daniel, do you have the Do you have
the packet?
>> Yep.
>> Okay.
>> And I actually want to refer to that
packet a few times.
Um you'll find that there are a few
things that are highlighted in here.
Um
you you say this tax increase is about
uh public safety?
No.
It isn't.
If you really cared about public safety,
you get rid of him.
You get rid of his department.
So, you look on page three.
You'll see that uh use of deadly force.
There have been five instances in the
period where his department has been
responsible for the death of five
different individuals.
You look on page five.
During the same time period, there have
been no reported homicides in the city
of Saratoga Springs.
The only deaths involving police are
those caused by the police.
When
Trying to catch my notes.
There is a another reference in here.
Um again with the deadly force.
Most killings by police per arrest than
95% of all departments that are in here.
When you look on
page six,
there's a list of the police
departments.
This is the seventh worst police
department in the state out of 116.
It is also, when you look at the second
page,
and [clears throat] you look at police
funding,
it is higher than 90% of the police
departments of a similar supplies sized
city.
They're overfunded.
Their police
violence is at 16%, which is
significant. They are very violent
individuals, or at least a very violent
department.
There was a report of a guy who their
kids phone
was faulty.
They sent six cars and a canine unit and
threatened the homeowner.
For a faulty phone.
Why do they have six cars to send?
And this isn't one thing.
This happens.
When there's been police accidents,
there's usually four or five cars
sitting there.
It it's
they have too much. And then there's
their unmarked cars.
Talking with somebody who was in the
industry, who was involved in in
unmarked cars, Cedar Douglas Springs has
the most of anybody in the state.
So,
these guys have a lot of money, they
have a lot of equipment, and a lot of
spare time.
It's a waste.
So,
rather than provide six more officers,
cut 12.
Start with him.
» Thank you. We'll go to Cecil Turley.
» You good?
>> I did the same thing.
>> Okay.
>> Not bad.
» Then we'll go to uh Morgan
Humphries. I hope I got that right.
Morgan, my good?
>> Yep.
>> Okay.
Thank you.
» So, I'm here because of the tax
increase, 50%. We're one of the highest
in the state. I understand the need. I
think it's excessive.
First off, what are we doing with our
tax money?
Are we being good stewards, or are we
not?
The only thing I can do is go off of
what I know. I'm an engineer. I look I'm
not trying to be
picky on the engineering department, but
I went through their stuff and and
just pure math, the average
cost of each employee is 190 grand.
The most that a city engineer can make
per year, guys, is documentation,
is 156 grand or 153.
If everybody makes what the city
engineer makes, we have over 20% of the
budget going to incidentals.
And that is low. I will tell you right
now it's probably more around 40.
Okay?
To me that that's just one area where I
look at and I go
I understand that you have to add
benefits in. I understand that there's
other things to be added.
If I can find it in one department, I
can find it in all.
I will say that I also am not very happy
about
the non-marked cars.
I feel like we are over-policing in this
area
in the sense of traffic control. Traffic
control and accidents are based off
conflict points.
happen at intersections.
are where accidents occur.
That is where the damage, that's where
the public safety, that's where the risk
is. It's not going down the street going
20 miles an hour over.
I know that we want to see and think
that, but that doesn't usually cause
accidents unless that person is weaving
in and out of other people.
But that's where we go get almost all of
our tickets.
That I think is wrong. If it's a public
safety issue,
go to the intersections. Don't go
to the straightaways. That's not going
to If somebody's speeding there, that's
not going to cause it.
Okay?
Third point, what is animal control
doing in this city?
What do they do?
They go get dogs and then they charge
you to get them back. Okay?
It's starting to feel like a
an ongoing thing.
Okay? The police like to police where
people can't see their cars and they get
revenue.
Animal control goes and gets revenue
from dogs. We ask to come get cats, they
go go trap them first.
A cat.
I'm not talking about a cougar and I'm
not talking about a bobcat. I'm talking
about a feline housecat
that people can't come get, animal
control?
No, that's not my job. That is utter BS.
And that is my That's I'll stop because
my time's up, but that is it's it's
ridiculous.
And that is one of the points that I
will make is animal control should be
gone unless they start doing their job.
And that is we live in a
area of wilderness. You as animal
control need to come take care of
wilderness
» Thank you. We'll go to Brian King.
» Uh good evening. I'm Brian King. I've
lived here for about 21 years and uh
live up in Harvest Hills. I am speaking
tonight in favor of the proposed tax
increase.
Um I looked down the list of things that
are uh
that we need and will pay for with this
and I think those are all things that I
want. I want to know that we have safety
officers out there citing individuals
who are cutting roundabouts or driving
erratically.
>> would be for funding um additional fire
and police services. I was not aware
that nearly 2 million of it would be
going to other things. Um one of them
being parks, which I mean, considering the wrap tax, I will
admit right now that I do not know much
about the city budget and so that is on
me to learn more. Um but I am curious to
know if any lower priority spending has
already been cut or deferred. But I just
have to say I'm truly grateful for our
for law enforcement and firefighters.
Having had the opportunity to be a
firefighter for the for a day, um they
have done an outstanding job. I'm just
really grateful for them. Thank you for
your service and your time.
» Thank you, Leah. We'll go to Jennifer
Scranton.
» Good evening. My name is Jennifer
Scranton. I'm a Saratoga Springs uh
homeowner.
I do appreciate the importance of
police, fire, and EMS. I really thank
you. Uh
and I understand that our city has grown
tremendously
and that the cost of providing these
services has increased.
However, um I am concerned about the 3.1
million property tax increase and I have
a few questions.
Saratoga Springs has grown approximately
16,000 res- or
has grown from approximately 16,000
residents in 2008 to more than 72,000
today.
And I'd like the city to explain how
much additional revenue that growth has
generated and why the revenues
associated with that growth are not
sufficient to cover the cost created by
the growth of today.
My second question is why does
>> Clarissa Cooper
» Hi. I will speak quickly and plainly. Uh
I wanted to say that I am super happy to
pay more taxes, especially when they
support the library and my house not
burning down.
Big fan of my house not burning down.
Big fan of the library.
Uh I run things with the Friends of the
Library and frequently before I would
talk to people and they'd say, "Oh, I
didn't know we had a library."
And everyone I talk to now loves the new
space.
And it's amazing.
And it's a lifeline to moms in the
community with story time.
But like that fills up and it's not
because the room is full. It's because
they don't have the staffing to be able
to supervise more kids in there.
So, I am really excited about the idea
of there being more employees for the
library with the tax increase.
And so, I just wanted to say thank you
for doing the brave thing and
asking the people of Utah to pay $150 a
year
for just amazing benefits. My husband,
when I was telling him about
uh the benefits for the library thought
that that tax increase was exclusively
paying for the library because of how
much value we feel like we'd be getting
there. So,
thank you. I appreciate it.
>> Thank you. You had Karen Crouch.
» Good evening.
I wasn't sure I was going to speak
tonight and one of the speakers already
kind of hit on a lot of the topics that
I wanted to talk about. Just have we
really researched and cut waste where we
could? Because while $150
based on your average
house
isn't a lot, it assumes that year after
year that nothing else will raise. But
income will raise because we're we have
more and more residents. So, I think we
are spending wisely on the police and
libraries and all of that, but I'm just
wondering if we have cut other areas.
Uh one thing that I noticed as as
someone that goes to Patriot Park a lot,
we're watering cement. So, we're not
fixing those things and we're wasting
money. So, I really want to make sure
that we're not wasting money and that we
understand that there are some senior
citizens here, which I am one of, and
we're on fixed income, and a 50% tax
increase caught my eye. So, I would I do
want to feel that you've taken this
seriously and cut all the waste that you
can. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Sharon.
Okay, forgive me on the next last name.
I've got Steven
Witkovich?
» Hi.
Um a lot of my concerns have been
addressed by
previous people, but I um did want to
make a few comments. I moved into
Saratoga Springs in uh 2006, so I've
been here about 20 years.
Um
a couple things that I don't really
understand that would help me is
like they said the statistic 16,000 back
then, 70,000 now. So, from my
perspective,
the tax base, the residential tax base
has grown astronomically, and then we
put in
so many businesses over the last 20
years, and I can't understand why all
those residents, you know, paying into
the pool, plus all those businesses
paying into the pool,
can't cover our tax base. So, that's one
thing I
I'd like to um ask as a question.
The second thing is, I know we've been
criticized in the past for our police
budget being overinflated, and I feel
like it is overinflated, and I feel like
a million dollars for four new hires?
From my simple math, that's $250,000 per hire.
That's pretty good. My dad was a police
officer for 30 years. Never made
$250,000.
So, obviously, that budget, there's a
lot of other stuff in there besides four
hires.
But, I believe our police budget should
be reduced, not increased.
Same concern, 50% in 1 year. Could we do
15% over 3 years?
Final point, um when I moved here from
Sandy in 2006,
my property taxes immediately doubled,
and I was kind of in sticker shock. It's
like, "How can Sandy provide such
excellent services to their residents
for half the amount of half the property
tax in Saratoga Springs can?" Now, I've
been paying double for the last 20 years
cuz I got used to the the new tax
burden, but
it seems that as we approach the size of
Sandy, we should also be getting the
efficiencies of Sandy, and we don't seem
to be doing that. I don't know what
Sandy's current tax rates are, but
when we're fully built out, and we're
going to be a, you know, 100,000 or so,
right? We're going to be equivalent to
Sandy.
How is it that they can figure out how
to keep taxes low, and we can't? I don't
believe that they're any smarter than we
are.
But they must be doing something right
that we're not doing and maybe we could
learn some lessons from them.
Um
and then finally uh and this was I
didn't know this until tonight reading
over the docs. I'm looking at our the
cities around us.
We're the highest tax increase city over
all the other cities. They're like 6, 8,
10% except for Eagle Mountain who's gone
nuts and they they decided to do a 200%
tax increase, but
it's like what are these other cities
doing that we can't figure out how to do
to keep their tax increases reasonable?
6, 8, 10% that's reasonable. Inflation,
right? We're covering inflation.
But 50%?
Something's going wrong here. It's it's
um
There there there's there's got to be
something that we can do better
to be more efficient. Thank you.
» Thank you. We've got Lynn Archuleta.
» Hi. Um I was born and raised here in
Utah. Lived in Salt Lake most of my life
until 2020 I came here to Saratoga
Springs.
Um I worked for the state of Utah for 38
years ending um as a budget officer for
the Department of Veterans and Military
Affairs. So, I understand budgeting very
well. And um I I've I've been up to the
legislature and gone through that whole
budget process
uh for the 12 years that I worked for
the Department of Veterans Affairs and
um
I am also just retired
um
last year
and 50% really
screamed to me as well. I understand
and I expected have tax increases every
year and I get that. You know, I I
understand it's it's necessary, but 50%
is extreme, especially when I'm as I
would have always been a single
parent
and have struggled my whole life, and
I thought I could live off my
retirement, and I am struggling. I
had no idea how much taxes I they take
out retirement. Um it's just this is a
lot, and when I look at the numbers, um
like I just looked at what the budget
was for, um
the police
over a million dollars, like the man
just said.
I have I know that government on my
experience of 38 years of government is leaning towards top-heavy.
And
we can
I've gone through lots of budgets, you
know, cutting budgets where
at the state level, they're constantly
asking departments to cut budgets, cut
budgets. Where can you cut back? A lot
of the people already addressed what I
wanted to say here, but
you can cut. You just got to
dive in there and cut. When I see
to you know, the
I I know police are necessary, but when I
first moved here, we had a fire in my
house
literally was almost caught fire. I had
to go, and it it's scary. We we need to
fund the fire department. We need more
firefighters here. Um the growth, you
know,
the last gentleman that said there's so
much growth, you know, why isn't that
compensating? We there's got to be
something. We got to dig and find out
how to be more efficient, where we can
cut, and not be top-heavy anywhere.
That's a lot of money for four four
positions in that's a lot. It It seems
top-heavy to me. My department was
top-heavy.
I don't know. I I'm just really
concerned. I I I drive here and I live
at the end by the lake and for me to go
anywhere any day
Is that my time? Sorry.
>> Yeah, thank you.
>> Thank you.
» Okay.
Do we have more
signed up for in room?
Wendy, are there more signed up on the
sheet back there or
If we have another one, you want to just
come up and state your name.
For in room, if you want to if there's
more public comment, you can come up to
the microphone, state your name.
» Um my name is Beth Allen and I'm a
resident here in Saratoga Springs and I
do um have similar questions as as other
people have asked is um why the growth
in businesses haven't compensated for
the tax need. And I'm wondering if some
of the businesses have been given
incentives, like have they gotten tax
breaks and maybe
that might need to be explained or
something. And then
um I'm also just making a comment on the
library. Um
I love the library. I absolutely love
it. It's super hard to volunteer there.
>> [clears throat]
>> Um
so if if there is a way to make
volunteering easier at the library, then
maybe we wouldn't have to hire other
people if it wasn't like a 6-month
process of background checks and just a
volunteer.
Um if we weren't so picky on the
volunteers.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
While we wait to see if there's more,
let's go to
some of the online's.
Nikki, we could do that.
Yeah, go ahead, Mark.
>> Sorry.
>> Do you Mark, did you have something?
>> Do you want her to read them?
>> Yes, yeah, I was going to have her read
the read the online comments. I believe
we had five submitted online.
And we're going to we're going to have
you read those with the same 3-minute
timer clock.
And if whatever doesn't get read in the
3 minutes will just be it's already
submitted into the record.
>> All right, we have Kevin Marsh.
He says, "I'm opposed to increasing
property tax rates by this much. I can't
speak for others, but I have been
observing that the last few years have
been death by 1,000 cuts.
Everything is getting more expensive,
every tax rate is going up, every
purchase we make just to survive has
gone up by dramatic amounts. While wages
have largely remained stagnant, I
understand the need for additional
revenue to counter some of the
shortfall, but this amount is too much
and will further strain the budgets of
those who can afford it the least.
Please consider an increase of 12 to 17%
instead of 50."
That's the end, Katie.
Uh Brandon Anderson
says, "I support this tax increase for
better emergency and public safety. I've
lived here long enough to watch Harvest
Hills go from the edge of a town to a
cut-through. Mount View corridor empties
into my neighborhood and more and more.
What comes down Harvest Hills Boulevard
is not resident traffic. Redwood Road is
worse. The city is the only group that
can solve this problem, and we need
better enforcement of traffic laws along
our roads.
With this tax, the city can hire
additional law enforcement officers so
we can better enforce the existing laws
by slowing down cut-through traffic on
our residential roads and along Redwood
Road.
It will make our roads safer for our
kids, and we desperately need them to be
safer. Please say yes.
Josh Kimball states, "I saw that
property taxes are proposed to raise by
around 50%, and I'm writing to give my
dissent to this decision.
With the rapid growth rapid growth in
the city
is experiencing in both new residential
construction and industrial business and
office space, I feel that the money
received through this growth should
bring in sufficient money instead of
burdening residents with yet another
increase to our lives where the cost of
living is already out of control
expensive.
Jordan Hyde
says, "Mayor and City Council, the
this comment is in support of the
proposed tax rate increase.
While paying higher taxes is
uncomfortable, the proposal is a
necessary and reasonable investment in
the continued success and well-being of
Saratoga Springs.
The purpose and justification for this
increase are clearly stated in the
proposal with spending specific to
services the entire city rely and
depends on.
It is hard to argue against the
necessity of well-funded police
officers,
firefighters, and emergency personnel
with appropriate and adequate training
and equipment. As our city continues to
grow, this investment will be more
important. This proposal is fiscally
responsible and justified. I put my full
support behind this proposal and
encourage the City Council to approve
the proposed property tax increase. This
proposal is fiscally responsible and
justified.
I put my full support behind this
proposal and encourage the City Council
to approve the proposed property tax
increase. That was in there twice.
Clarissa Bascom
um wrote to the public comment regarding
the proposed tax increase uh with
questions. Dear Mayor, City Council
members, and fellow residents,
like many residents, I am trying to
understand the need for a proposed
property tax increase that has been
described as the first city tax increase
since 2008.
As a homeowner, a taxpayer, and someone
who cares deeply about our community, I
believe it is important that this
decision be based on a complete
understanding of the city's financial
history and not solely on the statement
that taxes have not been increased for
many years.
A 50% increase in the city's property
tax is significant for many families.
Because this decision rests with the
City Council, I respectfully ask that
residents be provided with additional
information so we can better understand
why this increase is necessary and
whether all reasonable alternatives have
been considered.
I respectfully request clarification on
the following questions.
It is accurate that while the city has
not adopted a truth in taxation property
tax increase since 2008,
the city's property tax revenue has
nevertheless increased substantially
through the construction of thousands of
new homes and commercial properties?
As Saratoga Springs has an experienced
tremendous growth, has the city also
received increased recurring revenue
from other sources including sales tax,
building permit fees, impact fees,
state shared revenue, franchise fees,
and other growth-related revenues? If
so, how have those revenues changed over
time?
Is it correct that Utah County collects
property taxes on behalf of Saratoga
Springs and distributes the city's share
back to the city?
How has the city's overall revenue
changed since 2008, and how has that
additional revenue been allocated?
Specifically, how much annual revenue
has been generated by new residential
construction?
How much annual revenue has been
generated by commercial developers?
How much has total city property tax
revenue increased since 2008?
Which departments have experienced the
greatest increases in spending? How much
of the proposed increase is intended to
maintain existing services versus
expanding services?
As the city's budget has grown, have
city services grown proportionally?
For example, if the city's property tax
revenue has increased significantly over
the past 18 years,
have residents seen comparable increases
in roads, public safety, parks,
staffing, and other essential services?
A comparison of budget growth alongside
measurable service improvements would
help residents better understand the
need for additional taxation.
What portion of growth-related
infrastructure has been funded
through developer impact fees rather
than property taxes? Have those impact
fees kept pace with the costs created by
new development?
Many residents have expressed concerns
about continued rapid growth. If
additional property tax revenue is
approved to address growth-related
needs, what is the city's long-term plan
to manage them?
And have we received any more?
>> We have not.
>> Um is
uh
Derek Andrews online?
>> Um, he is not online, but there are two
people online. Um, one just has a phone
number and one I do have a name.
>> Do you want me to do Do you want to do
those first and then we'll wait if Derek
doesn't show up, we can read his?
>> That's great.
>> Yes. Um, for sure.
So, I am going to promote Tammy
Christopherson to a panelist so that she
is able to share her thoughts with us.
Um, in doing that, I'm going to also,
um, move my computer to the front so
that the city council can see her face
if she wants you to. Um, because that
was something that, um, we were supposed
to ensure that residents had that
ability.
Tammy, it looks like you are muted.
Perfect. So, hold on just 1 second. I'm
going to turn up my sound and put a
microphone to my speaker so that you can
become part of the public record. Okay?
You can go ahead and start.
>> Okay, this was kind of a surprise. Um,
I a lot of this has been covered, um,
with what everyone said, so I just go
yes cuz I'm not for
it
Sorry. For us who are retired, I figured
that this increase it will it is 20% of
income that I get from social security
and what little I've saved. 20%.
And when it said in 2008, they haven't
had any increase, but
my
property taxes have gone up 5% every
year.
But I'm also for if it's if it's 51%,
why can't we drag it out over time and
not just go wham 50%? That's just
It just I it just gets really scary that
it we have these huge things and as a
senior I you sit there and think, "Okay,
where am I going to cut? Do I not take a
medicine that I have I need to have
because that's cutting into what I have
budgeted for the month?"
And um
and like the other people said that the
uh
where is the other income coming from
all these other people who have moved in
and businesses and people
and why is that not being compensated,
but I agree with a lot of what other
people have said.
Thank you.
» Thank you. And then um we have another
attendee.
Um I they it looks like they joined from
like a phone and so we just have a phone
number. So, if they can share their name
um before they speak, I um
am see why are you not
Sorry.
Okay, it's not um I can allow them to
talk, but it's not allowing me to put
them on maybe cuz they don't have a
camera cuz they're on a phone. So, I'm
going to allow them to talk.
You can go ahead. It looks like you are
muted, so if you would like to speak.
>> Give their name.
>> I don't.
>> No, no, they need to give their name.
>> Yeah, please give your name.
>> now?
>> You You are.
>> Okay, perfect. Uh my name is Derek
Andrews. I've been a resident of
Saratoga Springs since 2013.
And I prepared some words in opposition
to the 50% tax increase. Uh good
evening, Mayor and council members. I'm
here tonight respectfully opposed to the
proposed property tax increase. I want
to be clear. I support responsible
funding for police, fire, roads, and the
essential services our growing city
needs. My concern is whether a 50%
increase in city property tax revenue is
necessary right now and whether the city
has adequately demonstrated that it is.
Saratoga Springs is growing rapidly. The
city's own budget documents recognize
strong economic and residential growth.
Uh record sales tax revenues and
continued expansion of the tax base. The
city grew by roughly 8% in the most
recent year reflected in the budget and
substantial additional growth is
projected. That growth should matter
when we discuss taxation. Before asking
existing homeowners to pay significantly
more, I believe the city should
demonstrate how much additional revenue
it can reasonably expect from new
construction, new businesses, population
growth, sales taxes, and other existing
revenue sources.
Many homeowners are already struggling
with the cost of living and today's
housing prices. A home's increasing
assessed value may represent wealth on
paper, but it isn't cash in a
homeowner's bank account. Increasing the
tax burden on people simply because
their homes have become more valuable
can put additional pressure on families
who have never actually realized that
increase in value.
There is another issue I believe
deserves attention. Flock license plate
reader cameras. The Fourth Amendment
protects Americans from unreasonable
searches and seizures and organizations
such as the ACLU have raised serious
concerns about automated license plate
surveillance because it is actually
surveillance. It is not just a reader.
It is meant to surveil and monitor
citizens who have not committed a crime
nor have reasonable articulable
suspicion that they are about to commit
a crime.
This can put additional pressure Oh,
excuse me. I mixed up cuz I needed to
add more detail on that. So, this
includes
uh from this technology includes
collection, retention, sharing, and
accessibility of location data not only
within our own police department but
sharing across multiple departments
statewide and countrywide. I'm not
suggesting that every use of this
technology has been ruled
unconstitutional. I am saying that
residents deserve strong safeguards
before government collects detailed
information about where people travel. I
am uncomfortable therefore asking
taxpayers for more money while the city
continues funding surveillance
technology that raises legitimate
constitutional and privacy concerns. I
also believe the tax proposal needs to
be res-
represented more clearly. The city's own
property tax impact schedule shows a
proposed 3.1 3.1 million dollar
increase, but only 1.202 million or
38.78%
is identified for police and fire.
Although the whole thing was presented
as it's for public safety.
That means more than 1.89 million or
over 61% goes to other areas that are
not public safety. They are not police
and fire. Those expenditures may be
worthwhile.
>> Time.
>> taxpayers deserve to see that
distinction clearly rather than hearing
the proposed
» Thank you, Derek.
Okay, I think we might have a few more
in the room who signed up. Um
Beth Allen, I believe you already came
up, correct?
Okay. We've got uh Sammy Reyes.
» Hello, my name is Sammy. I'm a homeowner
in Saratoga Springs. We uh recently
moved over here.
Um I'm I'm not opposed to taxes. I understand
that expenditure um
is needed. I am opposed to the 50% tax
increase.
What we don't have is I think visibility
to where the money is. There are other
um
uh revenue sources, sales tax, building
permit taxes, or uh uh fees,
um
revenue from traffic fines,
um
I think
my concern, and I don't want to speak
for everybody else, but where's that
money coming from? How much is that
money?
Um your your tax base has increased
tremendously. Um how much more money are
you getting? And this is like the uh
I I don't know if there's there's no
visibility, and I don't know where to
get that. If you can provide that to us
for us to understand how much money
you're handling and how much money you
still need. We also would like to
somebody asked a very reasonable
question is what other expenses did you
cut? Is there is there anything
unnecessary or anything you can do less
with that's been cut like for example
watering concrete.
It's a good point. Um
The other concern which is a major
concern is if this passes, when is your
next 50% tax increase going to happen to
us?
Is that when is enough?
Um I believe you as a body, you're
trusted to take care of Saratoga
Springs.
Um
and I think the standard is to minimize
government, the size of government and
the impact of government while providing
a good balance to people. Obviously, if
we ask you to handle everything that we
do, yeah, you're going to need all the
money that you do.
But we're asking you not to do that.
We're just asking for visibility to
where the money is, how much money there
is and where it's going.
Um
Sir, you got a bad rap today. I don't
know how true that is.
I'm sorry for that. I I do support uh
law enforcement everywhere. I don't
think else is uh
is a good idea.
Um
and
uh in conflict with many other people
who think that that money is too high. I
believe when you consider the salary,
the car, the unit, the weapons and the
training, I think
that might be we might be close to what
you're asking for. So, and again, I
think uh if there is police brutality,
um that's a training issue, not a budget
issue.
So, thank you.
>> Thank you.
Do we have any more submitted online?
Nicky or Anne?
Are there any more on Zoom?
Okay, let me check the room again. Is
there any more in the room?
Could you
do one of these in the back, please?
Okay.
>> Do you want to speak here or there
first?
>> Go ahead.
Just give us your name.
>> My name is Jaylin Lincoln and I've been
a resident of Saratoga Springs since
1999.
And I want to thank this council and the
councils that came before you of
balancing the needs of services and the
increases of taxes. It comes tonight to
the age-old question, is it better to do
small increments or to go years without
before we do a tax raise?
It's really hard and I don't have an
answer for you, but I do appreciate the
time and the effort to have many years
of no tax increases.
Um we used to joke that we couldn't come
out of Costco without spending $100.
Unfortunately, the new joke at our house
is we can't go to Costco without
spending $250.
As prices go up, the dollars that were
with the original rate
in today's market, they just don't
purchase as much as they used to and
it's a hard question to struggle with,
but I appreciate the balance that this
city has taken between raising taxes
over the last many years um and and
providing services and I I hope and wish
that there's some magic bullet on either
small increments or larger increments.
One thing I thought might be helpful is
on your paper that was passed out to
have the rates of the different cities,
what their current rate is and what
their proposed rate is because then you
can see that oh, it's a 50% increase,
but our rate is still lower than a bunch
of the cities on the paper. You can
compare apples to apples a little better
um because the different cities all have
different philosophies, slow increments
or all at once. But again, I appreciate
the the effort that this council has
made to keep taxes as low as they can
since we moved to Saratoga Springs in
'99. Thank you.
» Joel, and please don't forget to put
your name on there.
And are there any more on Zoom?
>> There are not.
>> Nikki, is there any more emailed in?
>> We don't.
We do not have any more emails or anyone
else on Zoom.
>> Okay. Is there anybody else in the room
here that would like to participate in
the public hearing?
Okay. Seeing none, we'll close the
public hearing.
And we'll go to
business item or public hearing item
two, consideration of resolution R-2644
adopting the certified tax rate for the
general revenue fund for fiscal year
2026-2027, Spencer.
And council will when after Spencer's
done, we'll have time to address
um comments.
Or ask questions for Spencer.
>> Okay.
Um so, this resolution here is adopting
the property tax rate as part of the
fiscal year 2026-2027 budget. Um
nothing's really changed since what we
said earlier. Were there any questions
for staff at this time?
» No.
>> I I have a question.
>> Go ahead. Yeah, council.
>> Yeah.
>> [clears throat]
>> Spencer, um
I know that uh staff has put in
an untold number of hours
uh at the request of
city council to make sure that we were
uh using the dollars wisely.
Um
>> [clears throat]
>> when um we look at the uh last time that
taxes were raised as an absolute dollar
amount in in 2008, uh do you have any um
idea in the back of your mind or or
handy,
what inflation has done to the cost of the city
and its operations?
>> Um, I don't have that handy right now,
the inflation since 2008.
Um, we could prepare that for you at a
different time if you want.
>> Well, um,
I I I think it'd be safe to say that
inflation has had a devastating effect
on on the cost of operations in the city
over over time. Would that be a fair
statement?
>> Um, yeah, inflation has been a factor.
Um, we had that burst in the early
2020s. Um, I know we had a lot of
discussions during that time
as how to address that and keep um,
the city competitive with staffing and
all that. So, yes, it's been a factor.
>> So, this has been a a struggle then as
long as you've been in the finance
department helping to to balance this
budget with what the income is coming in
from not only existing home, but also
new construction. Would that be a fair
statement?
>> Um, yes, every year we have to go
through this discussion and it's always
a question of how we can balance the
budget and how we can address the city's
needs.
>> And what is what is the first concern in doing that when you
I I know that's an open-ended question,
but in balancing the budget, what is the
first concern in doing that?
>> Uh, generally paying for existing
services already, making sure that we
don't have to cut anything.
>> Okay, thank you.
» Um, Spencer, so this when we look at
this schedule for the things that will
be cut, those are just things this year,
correct?
>> Yes.
>> In this year's budget. So, one thing I
want to point out is that people have
properly noted that about 1.2 of that
goes to public safety this year.
But if I'm looking and I'm looking at
our budget projections right here,
um, we project to spend for for anyone
in the audience, uh, I hope this is okay
to say, 14.5 million this year on public
safety and 17.6 next year, which is a
3.1. A lot of those people are hired
after this budget year. So, these are
the people that are impacted. Just to
clarify it for me, too.
>> We've already made a lot of hires. So,
these ones right here
>> not hired for these positions.
>> We have not hired for these, but we've
already started staffing for the
potential
future fire station or as I guess the
fire department is calling it the
outpost.
Um I think correct me if I'm wrong,
Chief. You guys already have the
ambulance running out of there, right?
>> Yeah.
So, and that's and that's what I want to
clarify for some of the people in the
audience. It is true that only 1.2 of
this is going to public safety right now
in the immediate, but in the next 6 to
12 months, we do plan to hire 22
additional firefighter paramedics as
well as several more police officers.
So, this is
um
this is ongoing beyond this year these
funds.
>> If I if I could, um this year the the
um
the law relative to property tax
increases changed. And so, in addition
to showing what we are going to use the tax increase for, we are also
obligated to show what we we not fund if
the tax rate increase did not go
through. And so, we looked at the
budget. Um as you stated very
eloquently, there are some things that
we just absolutely have to do. And so,
um those are the public safety items.
And so, some of the things that would
not be funded um they they have nothing
to do with the property tax. We're
talking about you know, freeing up other
revenue streams and other revenue
sources by not making those additional
expenditures. And we're trying to follow
the legislative intent. So, none of the
positions that are identified in the
alternative budget have been um hired or
filled. Those cannot be filled by state
law until after our rate is certified um
once this evening's uh
process goes through. So, fundamentally,
um we we did show a a of things that are
not public safety related. But public
safety, we generate about $6 million a
year currently in property tax.
As you indicated, it's about $14 million
in this year's expenditures, and it's
going to go up another $3 million next
year. So, fundamentally, the property
taxes that we are increasing are only a
small portion of what public safety fees
will be, and they will continue to grow
as we
fully staff the fire station in coming
years, as well as add additional police
officers.
>> Thank you for clarifying.
>> Just to reiterate, that does not mean
that we're going to raise taxes again to
meet that, right, Mark? Okay. Just
wanted to clarify that. Um
>> [clears throat]
>> Thank you for coming. Thank you for
participating in this. I know there are
some people that are
for it and against it.
I see some uh gentleman in the back
wearing an America 250.
It's a beautiful place to live.
We have the freedoms to do this and
discuss as citizens.
I get some of you aren't happy.
I wasn't happy when we first started
talking about this. We And there's
it was a hard decision, you know, as
some people were for and we you know, we
counseled back and forth. We went to
staff.
We did look at budgets and what we could
trim.
Some of you
have stressed that you're not as in for
you don't have the information in front
of you that that you would like to have.
Um I think we can work on that.
Um it might be after the vote, but it at
least we can get you the information
that you need. You're the public, you
deserve it. So, we will
do we'll do something to get you that
information. At least maybe I can't, but
we can ask staff to do that.
People up here are citizens of this
city, too.
We don't go home and cross the
Saratoga Springs and leave to another
community. This is our community.
I've talked with several people that are
on fixed incomes.
I've talked to people that
you know, when they first heard the 50%
it was higher
and we've reduced that. So,
why Lance? Why why are we doing this?
Um
we provided a lot of information. If you
don't have the information, once again,
we'll work on that.
But, I want to let you know we did hear
you this exercise tonight.
It it was hard. It's it's hard hearing
people that you live with, that you see
at the store, that you
um
It's it's Yeah, anyway, I
not an easy discussion to have, but I'm
glad we're having it.
It's something that I think we we need
to celebrate that we've been here I've
been here in the city for over 25 years.
Um the fact that we haven't raised taxes
in over 18 years is amazing and I want
to applaud the previous councils
and everything that got us to where we
are.
That's different than now. It's a little
bit of a different story because of some
other in
things that have come up because our
society has changed. If you look at some
of the If you get down to the bare bones
of what the police and fire department
do, do
the calls per citizen, the calls per
officer, the calls per
employee have gone up.
And I think we can bear that in our
empirical data.
Our society has changed. It's not the
society that we were a couple years ago.
We have a lot of
needs that are rising and coming to
fruition because of our society. So, I
want to let you know it's not the same
culture that it was 20 years ago or 18
years ago or 10 years ago. It's changed
and
we have to have
the the responders there to deal with
it.
Um once again, my vote
tonight I was
you know, if you would talk to me a
couple days ago, it was here or there.
And I've counseled with other council
members and
>> [clears throat]
>> um
anyway, if you ever want to talk to me
afterwards, my public information is
there. I would love to talk to you
individually or as a group and
explain that and anyway,
I'm done.
Thanks.
» Wait.
Anybody else before me? Okay. Um I just
want to make sure and I know this was
brought up lots of times and it might
not look like um this is how it worked,
but uh hopefully
people are aware that um we're
this was definitely a data-driven
decision. Um
we have a lot of very good data in
Saratoga Springs. Um our city manager
made sure that we had all those numbers
and that we needed to be able to um
discuss and talk and um come to a
determination, but uh
we had massive amounts of data that we
reviewed and talked about and looked
over to be to make this decision. Um
So, uh we obviously
uh our discussions were not done
lightly. Of course, this was a uh
heavy discussion every time. Um but it
was very uh it was data-driven. Um I
just want to make sure people know that.
I know that was it came up um in quite a
few comments and stuff like that. Um but
we have data. We do have that data um
to back up what we're trying to um
accomplish with this increase. And so, I
just wanted to just to make sure that we
are we uh
we we did look at a lot of it and it it
did help us in our decisions on that.
So.
» I might not be that short. Sorry.
Um thank you so much for coming. First
of all, thank you so much for your
comments for and against.
Um they're very reasonable. They're very
um
important. Um I want to clarify a couple
things that I took notes on if I can.
Um again, like
$1.2 million is shown here to go to
public safety right now, but in the next
year, [snorts] in the next 12 to 18
months, 100% of those funds will be
going to public safety. Um they will not
be used. Again,
>> [snorts]
>> we take home about $6 million in sales
tax or in property tax right now. We
spent 14.5 this year. So, we're
subsidizing the rest of the sales tax.
We will continue to do that.
Um
I'm new to city council. I um I've
looked over the budget a lot of times
being new, uh line by line by line. And
what I found over and over again is a
really lean city, very efficient. Um we
reuse equipment that I sometimes
question whether we should we should
reuse. We use every strategy I have
found to save money where we can find.
We're actually one of the only cities in
the Wasatch Front that charges the
full cost of water rates to developers,
which saves residents money. So, we have
the lowest water some of the lowest
water rates
um
on the Wasatch Front.
And in the budget, there's a lot of
department requests that get denied. So,
you're seeing the things that got
approved, but you're not seeing all the
things that got denied. And we have seen
a lot of those.
Um
I think there's a lot of questions
around how things are funded. The
primary two ways that cities can fund
public safety is property tax and sales
tax. Um our property tax, as we know, is
not even covering half of our public
safety cost. Our sales tax has been
enough to do that for many years, but
it's
but we're facing some headwinds.
Um there's some proprietary information
that I can't say in a public meeting,
um but we do have some things that will
make it difficult, specifically with
this large increase in our firefighting
force,
to do that. Um but just some numbers
that I can share.
2024 we spent 9.8 [clears throat]
million in public and combined fire and
police.
Then it was 12.3, um 14.5. And a lot of
this is because it's a really
competitive market. We just did um
a retirement tier two retirement pick up
like a couple weeks ago for our police
and fire to better recruit more people.
We want the best, most experienced
people coming to our city, and I think
that's really important.
Uh and that costs money.
Um
and so uh property tax also with the
certified tax rate as your rate
as your values go up, the rate goes
down. Um that's something I didn't
understand
before um running for city council.
And so that doesn't ever account for
inflation. So we haven't raised property
taxes in 18 years. I do appreciate lower
rates, but that's 18 years of inflation
um that we are considering and trying to
deal with as we try to keep tax rates
low. So
um one other quick clarification or two.
I believe the city has two Flock cameras
that we are transitioning away from. Is
that true?
The rest are on private property.
>> locations.
>> Two locations and we are transitioning
away. So that resident can rest happy
that we are trying not to use Flock
cameras in the future.
>> we'll be done with them by October.
>> October. Okay.
So those will be gone by October. I
appreciate that is something the privacy
I think is valid. Um we will not be
doing that. Um
and
there was another question about tax
breaks to businesses and I'm so happy to
report that that is something that
Saratoga Springs does not do.
Um we have given one tax the previous
city council gave one tax incentive to
get Costco that is fully paid for. We do
not have tax incentives which is pretty
rare for our surrounding city. Is that
correct?
>> That's correct.
>> Okay.
So just just because I think are
valuable things for people to know. We
really hear you. I really hear you.
Ultimately, I really ran my campaign on
public safety because I had looked at
the numbers
before I decided to run for office and I
thought it was really important that the
city fund this.
>> [clears throat]
>> I lived in fire prone areas before. I'm
very cognizant of what that does. I just
spent
4 extra hours driving to Oregon to avoid
fires 2 weeks ago
and I just think that we cannot
compromise on public safety and it is so
important and
I wish there was a way to help people on
fixed incomes not feel the burden of
this.
I prefer smaller increases when
possible, but I really think that this
increase is necessary for the stability
and safety of our residents. So, we are asking for a significant
investment from our community.
Here, we're asking for $3.1 million and
I want to clarify that it is only the
portion of your city taxes, which
currently accounts for about 12% of your
taxes that are going to is going to be
raised with this. On the average home
that is
around $142,000,
that equals to about $12 per month.
$12 is $12.
In some
budgets, family budgets, that's a
little. In some families, that's a lot.
I want to make sure that you get the
most value for your $12, for whatever it
is that you're paying for this.
Some of the data that we looked at is we
are building a new fire station. We're
building that new fire station because
there's a portion of our city
that the response times are over 10
minutes.
The target is around 5 minutes. If
you've ever
been on the receiving end of one of
those calls
and you're you're it's a life and death
situation, you know how long 1 minute
is.
And so, part of your investment in
public safety
is bringing those response times down.
That is really important. Um
mutual aid
Previously, we've been relying on our
neighbors a lot.
We've been They've have answered the
call to help neighbor some of our
neighbors
more than we've been able to do that.
With this, we'll be able to balance
that. We will be better able to serve
our own citizens.
Um
We want these new
We will be getting 24 new firefighters
and six new police officers.
We want to make sure that they are well
equipped and well trained.
Um so, that is my focus. Is I understand
that this is a big ask from our
community. I understand that it does
require sacrifice from from some people.
Um
and some some of the family budgets and
that is that is a strain. So, our
commitment is to make sure that we give
you as much value for that dollar as
possible.
» Okay.
Mayor, I do have just I was the first to
go. I do have some follow-up because
there are a lot of good points that were
made. Um
and I'd asked a an open-ended question
to Spencer and I'd like to come back and
address that now.
Um
there were choices and there have been
choices made. Um
and one of those choices that the city
council
had made was to reduce the potential
merit increase for city staff by 20%.
Um
we hated doing that.
But we felt we needed to um try to
contain the costs as as much as possible
because
even though it's going to cost me about
$13 port $13 more per month, I said um
money in my pocket or your pocket is it
does more good than than money in city
coffers. Problem is is that our coffers
can't uh aren't sufficient to handle
what is needed. And the problem with not
um
doing a tax increase in in 18 years is
that devil that is called inflation.
And if you look at the cost of
materials, um they've gone up. Well, is
it really the cost of materials that
have gone up? No. It's the value of the
dollar has dropped by 55%.
And the the problem with that is that
>> [clears throat]
>> your operational costs or our
operational costs have inflated faster
than than the CPI. And so, especially
when it comes to asphalt, concrete, and
everything that is needed to maintain
our existing uh infrastructure, yes, new construction pays for all of that,
but we do have existing infrastructure
that needs to be maintained.
The real problem is uh under the
certified Utah certified tax rate is it
automatically adjusts down to maintain
revenue neutrality as home prices go or
home values go up. So, the existing
property tax collections don't
automatically adjust for inflation. Um
and that's where we get the the problem
where we've been doing uh what we can
with the increase in homes and
businesses that have come into the uh
into the city. So,
you can have a strategy inflation uh to
offset these inflationary losses without
raising property taxes by
um sales tax growth. And we've seen
substantial sales tax growth. Of course,
some of that's going to leave our city
now with the opening of Walmart in Eagle
Mountain and and in Lehi. But they it is
volatile. Um and the other is the
revenue from the new residential uh
developments will help short-term cash
flows, and it has. But, each new
subdivision adds long-term maintenance
uh burdens, more miles, roads, pipes,
more emergency calls, and we've seen
that with our emergency calls.
As uh
>> [clears throat]
>> Council member Davenport Port uh
Davenport pointed out that uh
11 uh almost 11 minutes, it's over 10,
is uh
is is insufficient. For each minute that
goes by, um Chief Johnson uh had
testified earlier uh in a prior Council
meeting that it's a potential life lost,
and I've had the uh unfortunate position
to be in a home where someone's not
breathing and making the decision on
what to do there, and every second felt
like a uh tick in my brain, you know, as
my heartbeat, until they got there.
The problem is is that uh as Jolene
Lincoln had pointed out is that the old
joke, and my wife and I had that joke
that
try to get out of a Costco for $100, and
now it's $200.
Um that is the true problem with
inflation and and what we're trying to
do here, I believe, is to um
make that correction and and move
forward.
If we have to have changes in future
years, which I based on the projections,
that should not need to happen anytime
soon. I think that was a concern, are we
going to do it year after year after
year? This is right-siding um our budget
uh and on this one time, and it does
come at a cost, but uh we've we've cut
as much as we possibly can, in my mind.
I don't believe I don't like to have see
costs increase for myself, but uh um
unfortunately, I'm I'm a I'm
unfortunately, this is something that we
have to do.
>> Okay, thank you. I'm going to talk about
our our process a little bit. So, if you
haven't been to a public meeting,
we have public comment and and public
hearings, and we we don't have a
back-and-forth exchange. So, some of the
questions we try and answer
after the fact. Um some of these have
been touched on. These are just some of
my notes. I wanted to touch on these.
So, first, the certified tax rate.
If you're not familiar with how
certified tax rate works in Utah, and
staff, keep me honest.
Every year, the county
um
not the auditor,
>> Assessor.
>> The county Thank you. The county
assessor will look at the overall value
of Saratoga Springs houses and
businesses for property tax purpose.
They then assign a tax rate
to every entity that pays into property
tax.
In order for the city of Saratoga
Springs to collect more money,
the certified tax rate has to be
adjusted through truth and truth and
taxation.
So, when I look at my personal property
tax bill
for the city of Saratoga Springs,
I paid more to the city 10 years ago
than I do prior to today
because
our growth has brought the tax rate
down, so the city collects the same
amount of money. Spencer, am I am I
hitting that right?
>> So, new growth is added to that number.
So, for this year, for example, we would
be adding for approximately $500,000 in
new property tax revenue from new
housing, new businesses being built.
>> Right. Correct. Okay. So, that's the
certified tax rate. And we've been able
to manage We in 18 years,
we've gone from a volunteer, well,
part-time fire department. Correct. 18
years ago. To now being a fully staffed,
full-time department where I think we
have two part-time employees in our in
our firefighting service. So, we've been
able to manage that growth over the 18
year over those 18 years using new
growth.
The new fire department that needs to be
built, um
that will be handled through new growth.
That's not part of what this ask is. So,
we can use the question was brought up
on impact fees. So, when a new home is
built, impact fees are collected and we
can use those impact fees to build the
new fire station. What we can't use
impact fees for are for the ongoing
costs of personnel.
We've been able to grow city staff
with the growth of the city through new
growth of new residents and new
businesses and new sales tax.
This particular year, and the reason
this has come up is because we have kind
of an anomaly. We have to hire a large
amount of new employees to house the new
fire station
and and support the uh additional police
required. And so, the the increase is
fully going towards partially funding
the public safety
cost that we incur.
Uh and it's just the the personnel, it's
not the the fire station. Uh the
question was brought up on on tax
incentives and uh Council member Wilson
talked about this.
There's only been one incentive in the
history of Saratoga Springs and it was
Costco. It was about a 10-year deal and
it was done in it was paid off in 7
years and it was not a property tax
incentive. It was a performance-based
sales tax incentive.
So, they received a portion of sales tax
collected
from sales at Costco back until they hit a certain number and that we
projected about a 10-year payoff. It was
done in about 7 and 1/2 years.
And we don't have any other
um
commercial or um
residential incentives that we're
looking at in the future at this time.
Um other revenue sources, so this is
something I had to learn early on uh
when I was on the council.
When you look at an overall city budget,
a lot of the money that goes into a city
budget is is already earmarked and
um
dedicated towards the expenses that it
has to be per state code. So, when we
look at impact fees,
uh we can't collect impact fees and pay
for things that are not intended for.
And those have to be proven
through impact fee studies
um
that the impact fees collected are going
to pay for the impact of that growth.
And we get audited on that by the state
um to make sure that we are not over
collecting on impact fees and using them
for other things.
And then my final note was on budget
documents. Uh if you go to the city
website and you just type in the search
window budget documents, you'll find a
couple documents. One, there's about a
I don't want to guess about a 300-page
document that's the complete city budget
and it's there for every year. And then
there's about a seven-page um
Huh?
>> Citizen budget.
yeah. That for me is
frankly much easier to understand than
the but the the larger budget document
does go through line by line
uh department by by department on
uh where every all the spending and all
the revenue is.
Okay, are there any other
questions or comments? Mark, I think you
might have one.
>> I just wanted to provide a bit of
information. Uh there's been several
questions about new growth. Um I only
have 16 years worth of data here, but if
you think of 2009 and 2008, there was
not a whole lot of new growth happening
in Saratoga Springs because the market
collapsed in '27. Uh you know, around uh
2007, sorry. Um on average across those
16 years, the city has collected
$266,051
in new growth over that 16-year window.
So, some years it was higher, other
years it was only um
$2,511
of new growth in 2011. So, so what we're
talking about is is over that duration
of time about a quarter of a million
dollars a year in new growth tax value
that has grown for the city. So, again,
a lot of questions that have been around
that,
but but that's the that's the numeric
growth of what new growth has been over
that time period.
>> I think just a couple more comments.
Yeah,
over here first.
>> That's great. I just wanted to say thank
you.
When I talk about data data-driven
decisions from what everybody said that
that's how we do that. So, I want to I
want to tell my fellow council members
thank you for responding to all those
questions about the data and what we use
and kind of the why behind everything.
Hopefully that's helpful
to everybody why the why behind that
with our with the data that we have for
that and just everybody who's here,
everybody's online, anybody please if
you still have questions reach out to
us. Appreciate you guys coming. That's
what how the process works and we love
it and it and
I I hope we hope we answer a lot of your
questions.
Like we like mayor said we can't have
the back and forth at this meeting, but
we still love to have those. So, please
reach out if you want to, but thank you
again for my fellow council members for
bringing out that date. Kind of a little
bit of the data that we you know that we
had in front of us that we could go off
of.
» Yep.
>> Yeah, and also staff keep me honest as
well. Um
I wanted to address a little bit of the
new growth that I found kind of
interesting. So, the cost of public
safety per household is just under
$1,000 a year, 900 to 1,000
[clears throat]
if we're at least as similar to
comparable cities.
I was looking at a similar size city
just north of us that
charges the full cost of public safety
fire and police to their residents and
they're spending 947 a year
for that. We're probably a little bit
leaner than they are. We might be a
little bit under that, but let's say
900. Um currently the median household
spends $261 in property tax a year.
So, the rest of that is subsidized
through sales tax. Commercial pays a
little bit more.
Um 45% more. Um so, every time a new
house is built, we are subsidizing more
of the cost of their public service. So,
even though we are collecting more
revenue, we are not collecting enough
revenue. We're hoping um in the past,
Saratoga Springs has paid about half
property tax, half sales tax towards
public safety costs. We're now down to a
point where projected, if we don't pass
this tax increase, next year we'll be
paying 1/3 property tax, 2/3 sales tax.
We're just hoping to get it back up to
that that halfway, that 50% level,
because we believe that's better for the
stable future. Um if there is a
recession and the economy crashes, we
don't have to lay off
firefighters.
Um and that that is that is where I come
down on this decision is when I think
about growth helps and it also adds
costs. And so, balancing that and making
sure that our growth is um sufficiently
helping with those costs is one of the
concerns I've had, because
the especially the sales tax fund is it
needs to be I do want the library to be
funded. I do want us to have recreation
and parks and I was too late signing up
my kid for for soccer and you know, I I
get the stress of parents in that
situation and I do want us to have a
quality of life and we do want to
balance that and keep subsidizing with
sales tax, so we're not paying so
residents aren't paying the full cost,
especially people on low incomes,
especially people with fixed incomes.
So, this is this decision is just how do
we balance that? Um how do we come to I
we really went back and forth on
what the right number was. Do we want to
try to, you know,
go higher, go lower, go over years.
It is a hard decision, no matter how you
do it. Um I do you we're really trying
to balance
keeping the budget really stable
in a really fast-growing city that we
can't always control the growth of while
we are actually, I think, the 12th
largest city in the state, maybe the
13th at this point. Um we're we're we're
up there. And when I moved in, I think
we were like number 26. That was 5 years
ago. Um so we're we really want to be
able to provide services
while keeping taxes as low, and I I'm
not sure if we've threaded the needle
perfectly, but we that is what I am
trying to do here.
>> Okay, Council any other comments?
If not, I'll entertain a motion on
business on public hearing item number
two.
Oh, I'm sorry.
On business item
uh action item two.
Thank you, Kevin.
Motion on action item number two.
» Uh um
I move that we consider the resolution
R-26-44
dated today
adopting the certified tax rate for the
general revenue fund for the fiscal year
2026-2027.
>> Approve or consider? You said consider.
>> Oh, sorry. I move that we approve
resolution R-26-44 dated today adopting
the certified tax rate for the general
rep
revenue fund for the fiscal year
2026-2027.
>> Okay. I've got a first from
Councilmember Wilson.
» Second.
from Councilmember Davenport.
We'll We'll do a roll call vote of the
Council.
Councilmember Wadman?
>> Yes.
>> Councilmember Barton?
>> Yes.
>> Councilmember Davenport?
>> Yes.
>> Councilmember Taylor?
>> Yes.
>> Councilmember Wilson?
>> Yes.
>> Okay, that resolution passes. We'll go
to public hearing
item three.
Public hearing for the City of Saratoga
Springs final fiscal year 2026-2027
budget. Presentation of the FY2026-2027
final budget. Spencer.
>> Okay. Um
So this year was a little bit different
as we've explained before due to the
property tax. We um normally most years
we adopt the final budget in May or
June. Um but due to the property tax
changes this year
um we cannot adopt a final budget till
the new property tax is certified. Um
and so now that we have a certified tax
rate um the council can now uh make
actual
uh action on the budget and adopt a
final budget. What we have right now
since we're already into the fiscal year
we're operating on an interim budget is
what it's called.
And so month and a half of interim um
council tonight can make an action so
decide uh to do final budget. Um
we presented it multiple times. There's
been no changes to the final budget. Um
the major changes are mostly concerning
public safety um with also some other
changes concerning library and public
works as well. Any questions for staff
at this time?
» No, this is a public hearing so I'll
open the public hearing
for
I got too many pieces of paper action
item No, public hearing item number
three.
Uh please be respectful in your
comments. Please limit comments to three
minutes. Time may not be given to
another commenter. Please avoid
repetitive comments. Is anybody here for
public hearing item three?
Okay, seeing none I'll close public
comment and turn it over to the council
for questions.
Seeing none I'll entertain a motion on
public hearing item number three.
» I
That's just for the public hearing item
three and then
>> Four is a consideration
>> Okay, thank you Kevin.
So, that is uh that closes out public
hearing item number three. We'll go to
uh action item four consideration of
ordinance 2635
dated today adopting a final budget for
FY26-27, including a property tax rate
increase, compensation schedule for
elected and statutory officers,
and compensation increase for defined
municipal officers.
>> I move that we
um
>> We have Real quick, are there any
questions on this action item?
Okay, I'll entertain a motion.
>> Thank you.
I move that we approve ordinance number
26
-35, dated today,
uh ordinance adopting final budget for
fiscal year 26-27,
including all property tax rate
increases, compensation schedules for
elected and statutory officers, and
compensation increase for defined
executive municipal officers.
>> Thank you. It's got a first from Council
Member Taylor.
>> Second.
>> A second from Council Member Wilson.
We'll do a roll call vote. Council
Member Wilson?
>> Yes.
>> Wadman?
>> Yes.
>> Barton?
>> Yes.
>> Davenport?
>> Yes.
>> Taylor?
>> Yes.
>> Okay, final budget passed unanimous.
If there uh is there a need for closed
session tonight?
>> No.
need for closed session, so without
objection,
we are adjourned.