Hyde Park adopts 9.74% property tax increase tied to a public works hire and sidewalk repairs

Hyde Park's City Council voted 4-0 on Aug. 26, 2026 to adopt a certified property tax rate of .00110, which the meeting minutes describe as a 9.74% increase. ^[1]

The council then voted 4-0 for Resolution 2026-20, adopting the city's final budget. The minutes say the only changes from the interim budget were highlighted line items for expenditures funded by the tax increase. ^[1]

The hearing

At the public hearing, Mayor Tiffany Atkinson said "the proposed increase amounts to approximately $32.29 per household." The minutes record no public comment. ^[1]

According to the minutes, the increase "would specifically fund the hiring of an additional public works employee" and "provide resources for the repair of sidewalks, curbs, and gutter infrastructure throughout the community." The minutes also say the budget already included higher emergency services costs regardless of whether the increase was approved. ^[1]

Council member Gerald Osborne said he had independently reviewed where the tax revenue would be directed. Council member David Fowles moved to adopt Resolution 2026-21, and Council member Stephanie Allred seconded. ^[1]

What the filed budget shows

The budget Hyde Park filed with the State Auditor, in a file created Aug. 31, 2026, lists $1,070,000 in property taxes in its final column, compared with $1,040,000 budgeted for the prior year. ^[3]

In the streets department, the "Budgeted 2027" column lists $65,000 for "Repairs - Sidewalk, Curb, Gutter," a line with no amount in the fiscal 2025 actual, fiscal 2026 budget or fiscal 2026 estimate columns. Streets salaries are budgeted at $203,000, compared with $158,000 budgeted and $156,414 estimated for the prior year. ^[2]

Streets health insurance is budgeted at $50,000, up from $38,000 budgeted the year before. The filed budget does not mark which lines are funded by the tax increase. ^[2]

The police line, a contract the city's audit describes as funding for the North Park Police Agency, is budgeted at $990,000, compared with $910,000 budgeted and $925,000 estimated for the prior year. Fire protection from Smithfield City is budgeted at $200,000. ^[4][5]

Figures the minutes do not give

The minutes do not state how much revenue the increase is expected to raise or what home value the $32.29 figure assumes. ^[1]