Auditing Ogden: what the city's own records show about its money

This series reviews Ogden City's finances using public records: the city's annual audited financial reports, its outside auditor's compliance reports, its adopted budgets, Weber County's redevelopment reports and a 2024 legislative audit. Each story links the records it relies on.

Ogden's fiscal 2027 budget describes a $328.5 million citywide budget, and the adopted general fund is $99,551,975. ^[1] The budget states: "No increase in the property tax rate is proposed." ^[1]

Reserves

The general fund ended fiscal 2025 with a total balance of $58,266,637, down from $74,334,274 a year earlier. ^[2] The fiscal 2027 budget projects the balance at $38,489,310 by June 30, 2027. ^[1]

Utah law caps how much a city may hold in its general fund. Ogden's auditors reported the city over that cap at the end of fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2024. ^[4][3]

Debt

Ogden's total debt was $294,388,649 at June 30, 2025, up from $109,523,758 in fiscal 2020. ^[2] The city reports no general obligation debt for the past ten fiscal years. ^[2] Its net debt applicable to the state limit equaled 45.05% of that limit in fiscal 2025. ^[2]

Audits

HBME, LLC audits the city. Its fiscal 2025 compliance report lists one federal finding, a late airport grant report, and one state finding on budgeting for a new fund. ^[3] In fiscal 2020 the auditors reported that HUD had found $350,433 in ineligible community development block grant spending. ^[4]

The Office of the Legislative Auditor General reported in April 2024 that the Ogden-Hinckley Airport had an operating loss every year from 2006 to 2022. ^[5]

Redevelopment

Weber County's 2024 report shows $7,477,475.52 in property tax increment going to 10 project areas of Ogden's redevelopment agency. ^[6] The city's fiscal 2025 report lists $3,666,356 in overdue loans from city funds to the agency, and the two bond issues the city and its building authority sold for WonderBlock in December 2023 total $127,210,000. ^[2]