South Ogden moves $850,000 from its sewer and storm drain funds into the Water Fund
In June, the South Ogden City Council voted 5–0 to amend the FY2026 budget to add $450,000 in transfers from the Storm Drain Fund and $400,000 from the Sewer Fund to the Water Fund. Staff said the aim was to keep water rates from increasing excessively.
Continuing story: Auditing South Ogden
The South Ogden City Council voted 5–0 on June 16, 2026, to adopt Resolution 26-15, amending the FY2026 budget, including transfers from the sewer and storm drain enterprise funds to the water enterprise fund. [2][1]
The transfers
The amendment raised the Storm Drain Fund's transfer to the Water Fund from $8,500 to $458,500, an increase of $450,000. It raised the Sewer Fund's transfer to the Water Fund from $8,500 to $408,500, an increase of $400,000. Together, the two increases total $850,000. [1]
To cover the transfers, the amendment increased the Sewer Fund's appropriation of fund balance by $400,000, to $1,199,800, and the Storm Drain Fund's by $326,000, to $2,025,800. [1]
The reason given
Finance Director Peter Anjewierden's staff memo cites a "stronger than usual need and strain on the Water Fund for Capital Improvements." It says, "In order to keep Utility Rates for Water from Increasing excessively for residents," staff recommended using retained earnings from the other enterprise funds, which residents already pay into. [1]
In the Water Fund, the amendment added $849,000 for a new 40th Street 2025 project, lowered the 40th Street Waterline line by $100,000 and added $80,000 for water-meter radio antennas. [1]
The vote
The council held separate public hearings on the enterprise fund transfers and on the budget amendments. No one commented at either. Council members Howard, Smyth, Stephens, Howe and Peterson voted yes. The minutes record no council discussion of the resolution. [2]
South Ogden is a separate city from Ogden; no Ogden City records are used in this series. These are transfers between city funds. They are not additional spending by the city as a whole, and an amendment authorizes a transfer; it does not show that the transfer was made.
Sources
- South Ogden City Council · June 16, 2026 meeting packet (Resolution 26-15 and Attachment A)
- South Ogden City Council · June 16, 2026 work session and meeting minutes
Reporting by The Utah Ledger from the public records above. AI-assisted, checked against those records.