Davis County budget plan gives workers 2% raises and pays for projects without new debt

What the budget does

County employees would get a 2% cost-of-living raise instead of an ongoing merit increase next year under the 2027 tentative budget the Davis County Commission adopted on Nov. 10. The vote was unanimous, and a public hearing is set for Dec. 8. ^[1][4]

County Controller Scott Parke told commissioners the budget totals about $348 million in revenue and $372 million in spending across all funds. Parke said nearly $100 million of that is restricted for transportation, more than half of it money passed through the county that commissioners do not control. ^[1]

Balancing the general fund

Parke said the budget is the second year of a two-year plan to structurally balance the county's finances. In the general fund, Parke said, recurring revenue exceeds ongoing operating costs by about $495,000. That figure counts the county's new sales tax, which Parke said brings in a little over $4 million a year. ^[1]

The budget also sets aside an estimated $8 million in temporary collections from that tax in a dedicated account for a future criminal justice facility, Parke said. Parke also said departments cut the county's headcount by a net 9.4 positions by streamlining operations. ^[1]

Pay and projects

Besides the 2% raise, the budget puts 3% of wages into a one-time bonus pool, with individual awards based on performance evaluations. Parke said that lets the county reward performance while keeping ongoing costs stable, with a goal of returning to regular merit increases in future years. ^[1]

For capital projects, Parke said the county will use reserves and one-time money instead of issuing new debt. Projects include replacing the animal care facility and updating fleet and equipment. ^[1]

Parke said commissioners can change the budget after the Dec. 8 hearing, before final adoption planned for Dec. 15. The tentative budget will be posted on the county website, Parke said. ^[1]

Other votes

Commissioners also approved a new severance policy for appointed employees who are let go through no fault of their own, such as after a change in elected leadership. The county's human resources director said it pays three months of salary, with an additional month per year of service after that, does not apply to anyone fired for cause or performance, and is paid from a contingency fund. One public commenter questioned the policy. ^[3][4]

The commission agreed to send Syracuse the sales tax from the city's new Costco. A county official said the city did not notify the Utah State Tax Commission in time, so the money went to the county, and that the tax commission's final calculation will not come until January or early February. ^[3]