[0:47] Heat. Heat.

[2:02] Hey,

[2:16] honey.

[4:47] Heat. Heat.

[5:00] to the limited formal meeting for the

[5:01] Salic County, the Salic City Council. I

[5:03] don't know what that came from.

[5:07] That's embarrassing.

[5:10] >> I um maybe it's because I said county

[5:12] » I um maybe it's because I said county

[5:12] too many times today. Um so, welcome to

[5:16] today's meeting. We're happy uh to have

[5:19] you here whether you are in person or

[5:21] joining us online. Uh we hope that you

[5:24] continue to participate in whichever

[5:25] manner you feel the most comfortable.

[5:27] Today we are convening a limited formal

[5:30] meeting which means that this is not a

[5:31] standard formal meeting. Uh on June

[5:34] 16th, 2026 we adopted an uh interim tax

[5:39] levy an interim budget. Tonight, the

[5:42] council needs to consider action on the

[5:44] on the final step in the annual budget

[5:47] process for the city final budget

[5:50] adoption and truth and taxation hearing

[5:52] required by state law. Um, a truth and

[5:56] taxation hearing happens when any of the

[5:59] following takes place. The city raises

[6:01] property taxes, property tax

[6:04] stabilization, and judgment levy. The

[6:07] city is adopting a property tax increase

[6:10] to provide 13 uh,500,000

[6:15] of additional atalum tax revenue

[6:18] generated by the 9.16%

[6:22] property tax increase. Additional tax

[6:26] revenue is required for the city

[6:28] operations outlined in the property tax

[6:31] impact schedule including but not

[6:34] limited into public safety, public

[6:36] lands, youth and family programming,

[6:40] public utility matters matters and the

[6:42] city vehicle fleet maintenance.

[6:46] Although the hearing is a formal step

[6:48] required by state

[6:50] by the state, the council is always

[6:52] interested in hearing from the council.

[6:54] Feedback from the public helps the

[6:56] council make decisions in future budgets

[6:58] or even amendments to this year's

[7:01] budget. If you would like additional

[7:03] information regarding the property tax

[7:05] assessment, please visit the South Lake

[7:07] County Treasurers website

[7:09] www.saltcount.govtreasurer/

[7:13] GV/treasurer/propy

[7:16] taxes. Now, please join us for the

[7:20] pledge of allegiance.

[7:25] I aliance to the flag of the United

[7:28] States of America and to the republic

[7:31] for which it stands. One nation under

[7:34] God, indivisible with liberty and

[7:37] justice for all.

[7:40] >> Thank you. Before we continue through

[7:43] » Thank you. Before we continue through

[7:43] the agenda, I want to quickly go through

[7:45] the registration information

[7:47] and share the reasoning about how and

[7:50] why we chair these meetings the way we

[7:51] do. We welcome everyone regardless of

[7:54] your opinion or your side on an issue

[7:58] because we will have people from varying

[8:00] positions on important issues. The

[8:02] council goal is to make the meeting a

[8:04] place where where people feel safe and

[8:07] comfortable participating. This is the

[8:09] most local level of government and is a

[8:12] key value of ours to ensure that we have

[8:14] created a respectful and safe

[8:15] environment so that no one is

[8:18] intimidated out of free participation.

[8:21] This also allows us to ensure that the

[8:24] meeting can continue and that we can

[8:26] conduct the schedule city business. We

[8:29] invite each of you to contribute to this

[8:31] space to speak your mind and to welcome

[8:34] others do the same. In order to create

[8:37] this welcome welcoming and safe space,

[8:40] we will pause the meeting at any action

[8:43] that causes a disruption to our ability

[8:45] to conduct the meeting or any safety

[8:48] concern involving threats or unprotected

[8:51] speech. If there are repeated actions or

[8:54] comments, it may result in the rem

[8:57] removal from the meeting. To avoid

[8:59] intimidating others, please avoid the

[9:02] use of threatening and discriminatory

[9:04] language. Do not insult others based on

[9:06] religion, ethnicity, race, color,

[9:10] gender, sexual orientation, or physical

[9:13] ability. Whether you agree or disagree

[9:16] with someone's comment,

[9:18] clapping, cheering, shouting, booing,

[9:21] snapping, gesturing, obstructing, or

[9:24] discouraging others from commenting is

[9:27] not allowed.

[9:29] Just as a reminder, council members will

[9:32] refrain from reacting or responding to

[9:34] allow everyone to share their opinions

[9:37] freely. This is to keep our reactions

[9:39] from affecting your ability to share

[9:42] your opinion freely. If you would like

[9:44] to follow up with any of us, please see

[9:46] council staff in this in this room or

[9:49] you can message in zoom uh for contact

[9:52] information. When making your comments,

[9:54] please address the body and know an

[9:57] individual elected official. If you have

[9:59] a handout for the council, please raise

[10:02] your hand and council will assist you.

[10:05] Um staff is available during the meeting

[10:07] and after too. Uh so if you have

[10:09] questions or information that you you

[10:12] seek uh if you want the council rules

[10:15] that are posted on the chat and that are

[10:17] also posted outside this room. Um just

[10:21] as a reminder uh our public comment

[10:23] registration process. Individuals might

[10:25] register to comment on scheduled public

[10:28] hearing items until the hearing is

[10:30] closed. If you're in Zoom, you need to

[10:34] unm unmute your microphone when your

[10:37] name is called. Each person will have

[10:39] two minutes. If you reach the two-minute

[10:42] mark, the host will announce time and

[10:45] your microphone will be muted. We'll be

[10:48] calling those uh register in the order

[10:52] of sign up. If you need assistance in

[10:55] the room right here, please raise your

[10:57] hand. Staff will assist you. If you need

[11:00] assistance when you're online, contact

[11:02] the administrator of the meeting and

[11:04] they will assist you. If you have

[11:06] technical issues, staff support and zoom

[11:09] can assist you. Uh and that's ash from

[11:12] our staff.

[11:14] Just if you're able if you're not able

[11:16] to share all your comment in those two

[11:18] minutes, um you can send us the rest of

[11:21] the comment uh via email. You can also

[11:24] mail it to us. Um, and the contact

[11:27] information for that is at

[11:29] slc.govcounsel.

[11:32] If you have a handout, please notify the

[11:34] council staff uh before uh you begin.

[11:37] So, let's uh begin with the the item on

[11:40] the agenda, which is uh the truth in

[11:42] taxation public hearing for fiscal year

[11:45] 2026 2027.

[11:48] Um, before we begin taking comments, I'm

[11:51] going to turn the time to Jennifer

[11:52] Bruno, Council Executive Director, to

[11:54] give us a short introduction. Jen, thank

[11:57] you, Mr. Chair. Um, as you mentioned,

[11:59] we're having a truth and taxation

[12:01] hearing tonight as a requirement of

[12:03] state law based on the proposed interim

[12:06] fiscal year 2027 budget, which includes

[12:10] $13.5 million in additional property tax

[12:12] revenue. Uh the property tax impact

[12:15] schedule which lists all of the proposed

[12:18] uses for the proposed tax increase is on

[12:20] our council website at

[12:22] link.slc.govslcfy27.

[12:27] Thank you.

[12:29] >> Thank you Jennifer. Um

[12:32] » Thank you Jennifer. Um

[12:32] Isaac, please start with our first

[12:33] public comment.

[12:36] >> Thank you Mr. Chair. We have four people

[12:37] » Thank you Mr. Chair. We have four people

[12:37] registered to speak to this item. The

[12:39] first will be Brooke Brin, followed by

[12:41] Eric Miller, and then Susanna Arguo.

[12:45] >> Um, so

[12:49] I bought my house 1990 on the budget.

[12:53] Let's move on quickly to the water bills

[12:56] and the city bills.

[12:59] In 2005, I paid

[13:03] 26, let's see,

[13:08] $26.50

[13:11] in the winter time for my bill. This

[13:15] last month year,

[13:18] $136.

[13:20] It's up 523%.

[13:23] In the summertime

[13:26] in 2025, I paid a little over $40 for my

[13:29] water bill. This year,

[13:33] 167 plus, up 417%.

[13:39] I paid I used 30% less water this year

[13:43] in June, 34% less in July, and I paid

[13:48] more for both

[13:51] >> time

[13:55] Thank you.

[13:58] Just as a reminder, please uh if you

[14:00] haven't been able to finish your comment

[14:02] and the two minutes, please make it uh

[14:05] you have an opportunity to share with

[14:06] staff to make it to us. Next comment

[14:10] >> next will be Susanna Argu followed by R.

[14:13] » next will be Susanna Argu followed by R.

[14:13] Scott Birdsaw and then back to Brooke

[14:16] Bren. Susanna is here in person.

[14:19] >> Thank you to all. My name is Susan

[14:21] » Thank you to all. My name is Susan

[14:22] Arillio and I'm really happy to come to

[14:25] again to Sole City, my favorite city

[14:28] after I visit so many states because the

[14:31] culture, the cleanness of the city, our

[14:35] people, our government and diversity.

[14:40] I I can tell you increasing the property

[14:43] taxes will not be good at all. We know

[14:47] that the increase of everything is up.

[14:50] everything. But if we do that, many

[14:53] people will decline in many ways. Will

[14:56] it be poverty so much? Probably we can

[14:59] reach 100% poverty plus and no able to

[15:06] you know have the education that we

[15:07] needed because we are paying the

[15:09] property taxes. When that happen affect

[15:12] everybody. The people who are renting

[15:15] the places who already at this moment

[15:19] they are facing so much struggles by

[15:22] myself for instance you know I have my

[15:25] degree I should be in better position

[15:28] but what is going on right now I cannot

[15:30] handle the financials right now because

[15:33] everything is expensive. You can imagine

[15:36] how much is increase in property. So the

[15:38] owners of the property also increase the

[15:40] rent. So I don't think so is is good to

[15:44] do that because everything will be

[15:46] increased. Our city that is wonderful

[15:48] many people coming over the world to

[15:50] live here because they say oh here is

[15:52] amazing because they coming and see that

[15:54] everything they can buy it. many people

[15:56] from California scares thousands of

[15:58] people but I believe that the government

[16:01] do should do something because anything

[16:04] is not anything about money is about the

[16:07] good living to have good society

[16:11] to care about people because we need a

[16:14] good government that they can start up

[16:17] for the people who really need it. Thank

[16:19] you.

[16:22] Next will be R. Scott Birdsaw followed

[16:24] by Brooke Brin. R. Scott is here in

[16:27] person.

[16:30] Okay. So, I'm supposed to tell you my

[16:32] name, R. Scott Birdsaw, and I live in

[16:34] Mapleton, so I'm being taxed here

[16:36] without representation.

[16:39] Um,

[16:42] I would really like to know why. I

[16:44] didn't even realize this this is about a

[16:46] water allocation if that's what it is.

[16:48] I'm just going by what I was told on my

[16:50] tax bill or my estimated tax bill that

[16:53] just recently came.

[16:55] I just don't understand why anything

[16:57] needs to increase by 12% from one year

[17:00] to the next.

[17:02] And if you guys have got some material

[17:05] for me to review, maybe it makes sense.

[17:08] But at this point,

[17:11] the fact that I get a notice from the

[17:13] the tax collector

[17:16] and I don't even know exactly what

[17:19] category, it just says Salt Lake City is

[17:22] going up 12%.

[17:24] And there's also a uh

[17:27] an issue for a what does it say? A

[17:30] judgment levy that's being created out

[17:32] of whole cloth. I don't know what that's

[17:34] about either. It would be nice if we

[17:37] knew those things and then maybe we

[17:40] could discuss them, but it sounds like a

[17:42] decision is about to be made without me

[17:45] knowing anything about what the decision

[17:47] really involves.

[17:53] » And next will be Brook Brin who is here

[17:55] in person.

[18:00] I'm Brooke Bren, a mother sold bread

[18:03] maker and homeowner in Rose Park.

[18:06] Despite my family's economic

[18:07] desperation, I currently have $25 in my

[18:10] bank account. I'm not here to complain

[18:12] about the increased taxes. I'm here

[18:15] because I feel trust has been betrayed.

[18:21] I want to trust the city.

[18:24] If there was a way, I would want to

[18:26] donate.

[18:30] But the budget betrays the city's trust

[18:32] in three major ways.

[18:35] Matt, uh, the most significant tax

[18:37] increases, police,

[18:40] uh, not tax, budget increases, the

[18:42] increased budget feels like it's paired

[18:44] with the increased taxes. So, uh,

[18:46] police, mass surveillance, and the

[18:48] justice system. We have a 5% increase to

[18:51] the police budget, which is one of the

[18:53] most significant sections of the city

[18:57] budget. Uh, living in Rose Park, many of

[18:59] my law-abiding neighbors fear the

[19:00] police. I was confused by that for a

[19:03] while until I realized that a lot of my

[19:04] high school bullies are cops.

[19:09] And then I saw that cops are about twice

[19:10] as likely to beat their wives. I can't

[19:13] help but wonder how many cops enjoy the

[19:15] violence and their qualified immunity.

[19:18] About $500,000 of that police budget

[19:21] will increase

[19:23] um the funding to flock cameras. Why are

[19:25] we handing the reigns of mass

[19:26] surveillance over to known abusers?

[19:29] We already hear stories of cops using it

[19:31] to stalk their exes.

[19:34] Besides, I thought a hearing for this

[19:37] was scheduled for September 15th.

[19:40] Is that hearing simply theater?

[19:43] Have you already decided?

[19:45] There's a bunch more, but

[19:48] please, if you're not going to allocate

[19:50] the funds yourselves, allow people who

[19:53] care to donate.

[19:58] That was the final register commenter

[19:59] for this item.

[20:10] » Thank you all of those that made

[20:12] comments. Uh, and I need a motion.

[20:17] » Mr. Chair, I move that the council close

[20:18] the public hearing and adopt an

[20:19] ordinance approving the final tax final

[20:22] rate of tax levy for all city funds,

[20:24] including the library fund on all real

[20:27] and personal property within Salt Lake

[20:29] City, made taxable by law for fiscal

[20:31] year 2026 27.

[20:35] » Second.

[20:36] >> Council member Dugan for the motion and

[20:38] » Council member Dugan for the motion and

[20:38] council member Petro for the second. Um,

[20:41] is there any discussion?

[20:45] Council member W.

[20:47] just appreciate the people who came out

[20:49] to speak. Um we did in the our budget

[20:53] adoption t adopting the tenative budget

[20:56] talked a lot about um the issues facing

[20:59] the city, the affordability issues that

[21:01] we're facing. Um I don't want to repeat

[21:04] those. Um those are are part of the

[21:06] public record from the last meeting. I

[21:07] hope that you'll take a minute to listen

[21:09] to them. I'm also willing to stay and

[21:12] answer a few questions um after this

[21:14] meeting. People have them. Thank you.

[21:18] >> I

[21:20] » I

[21:20] thank you for for for your comments, uh,

[21:22] Council Member Warden. I I do want to

[21:25] run down, um, you know, that this and I

[21:28] know that for the discussions, uh, to

[21:32] the lengthy discussions this year on the

[21:34] budget, um, they were not easy. Um, I'm

[21:37] trying to, uh, balance the budget with

[21:40] less revenue and increasing cost. And I

[21:43] remember some of the facts and I was

[21:45] trying to look at them because they were

[21:46] so shocking. Um the the you know asphalt

[21:49] that everybody you know is asking us all

[21:52] the time for better streets used to cost

[21:55] $44 a ton in 2020 and now it cost you

[21:58] know $64 a ton right for us. Um and the

[22:02] the the price of gas for our own

[22:05] vehicles um has increased and the cost

[22:08] of equipment for firefighters you know

[22:10] went up a third. Um and then trying to

[22:15] balance the needs of a growing city with

[22:17] less revenue uh created a lot of

[22:21] you know created uh constraints and and

[22:24] uh competing uh competing needs. Um, and

[22:28] I I do appreciate the administration and

[22:31] and pretty much fi finding, you know,

[22:33] $13 million in savings and and looking

[22:37] into every single department and trying

[22:39] to reduce the budget to see if we can

[22:42] make it without an increase. Um, and and

[22:47] uh, you know, it turned out to be that

[22:49] it was not possible with with the budget

[22:52] that we had in front of us. and and um

[22:56] there is the impact to all of our

[22:57] neighbors is heavy. Um and I don't think

[23:00] anybody here took it lightly. Um and if

[23:02] the many discussions we had in the last

[23:04] few months, uh there are public records

[23:06] of them. Um we we we struggle a lot in

[23:10] trying to find consensus and find a

[23:12] budget that makes sense. Um and uh I um

[23:16] I appreciate the discussions and it's

[23:18] not lost on on any of us and certainly

[23:20] not not to me about how hard it is to

[23:23] make ends meet uh in in this in this uh

[23:27] time. So I wanted to end with that at

[23:30] least for me. Um I uh I appreciate

[23:33] everybody. I have a motion by council

[23:35] member Dugan and a second by council

[23:37] member Petro. All those in favor say I.

[23:39] I.

[23:40] >> I.

[23:41] » I.

[23:41] >> Any oppose? Any abstensions?

[23:45] » Any oppose? Any abstensions?

[23:45] Okay, this motion carries unanimously.

[23:48] This concludes our limited formal city

[23:49] council meeting. This meeting now is

[23:51] adjourned.

[23:53] >> Now is not adjourned.

[24:24] Council close the public hearing and

[24:26] adopt an ordinance approving the final

[24:28] budget for Salt Lake City for fiscal

[24:30] year 2026 2027, including the property

[24:34] tax increase outlined in the property

[24:35] tax impact schedule. The final budget

[24:38] action includes a tax rate adjustment

[24:40] exceeding the certified tax rate and

[24:43] will release revenue funds received

[24:44] through the tax rate increase from the

[24:47] restricted fund created at the time of

[24:49] the interim budget adoption.

[24:52] >> Second. I have a motion by council

[24:54] » Second. I have a motion by council

[24:54] member Warden and a second by council

[24:56] member Dugan. Is there any discussion?

[25:02] » Going to call the question. All those in

[25:03] favor say I.

[25:04] >> I.

[25:04] » I.

[25:04] >> I.

[25:05] » I.

[25:05] >> Any oppose? Any abstensions?

[25:09] » Any oppose? Any abstensions?

[25:09] This motion carries unanimously. Sorry

[25:11] for the confusion. This is a new

[25:13] process. It's a new process that the

[25:15] state has required us to do right now.

[25:17] So I um it's my fault for not paying

[25:20] attention. So um that motion carries

[25:23] unanimously.

[25:25] Uh and now uh this time is correct. This

[25:29] concludes our limited formal city

[25:30] council meeting. This meeting now stands

[25:32] adjourned.

Salt Lake City Council Truth-in-Taxation - 08/11/2026

Transcript