Clinton's street plan calls for $3.4 million a year; the city spends about $1 million

An engineering plan presented to the Clinton City Council on June 23 recommends that the city spend an average of $3,400,000 a year maintaining its streets, about three times what staff said the city now spends. ^[1][2]

The plan

J-U-B Engineers' pavement management plan, dated Oct. 18, 2024, covers 86 centerline miles of streets and rates them with the PASER system on a scale of 1 to 10. ^[1]

It recommends average annual funding of $2,550,000 for local streets and $850,000 for collector streets, $3,400,000 in all. It warns: "The implementation of the proposed budget will likely be inadequate to address this large amount of pavement at or near failing condition." ^[1]

The June 23 meeting

Public Works Director David Williams and City Engineer Bryce Wilcox of J-U-B presented the ratings. The minutes say the city spends about $1 million a year on roadway preservation and record staff recommending about $3.4 million to fully carry out the plan, a shortfall of more than $2 million a year. ^[2]

Options presented included a future property tax increase through the truth-in-taxation process, legislative authorization for a transportation sales tax, and a transportation utility fee. ^[2]

Councilmember Jennifer Christensen moved to have staff proceed with a transportation utility fee study and return the results; Councilmember Spencer Arave seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. Councilmembers said the study "was intended to gather information only" and "did not constitute approval of a Transportation Utility Fee or any future revenue increase," the minutes say. ^[2]

Mayor Marie Dougherty said the proposed budget included no additional roadway funding or property tax increase. The council then adopted the fiscal 2026-27 final budget 3–1: Arave, Christensen and Adam Larsen voted yes, Dane Searle voted no and Chris Danson was excused. ^[2]

Earlier and later steps

The final budget's list of changes from the tentative budget shows a $350,000 streets transfer to capital projects for slurry seal removed "Per Council request." ^[1]

At the June 16 hearing, Dougherty said about $1.2 million in requests had been removed to avoid a property tax increase, and residents who spoke raised fund balance use and street maintenance funding, the minutes say. ^[3]

On Feb. 10, the council's consent items included a $79,000 Zions Public Finance contract for impact fee analyses and rate studies, an amount the minutes say was approved Sept. 23, 2025. It lists $12,000 for a transportation utility fee study paid from the streets account. All five councilmembers voted yes on the consent items. ^[4]

At a July 14 work session, councilmembers agreed the study should examine road service levels, revenue needs, phased options and ways to fund the backlog, and that no policy decisions would be made until it is completed and reviewed. ^[5]