A guide to Ogden's budget, reserves, debt, redevelopment agency and audit findings from fiscal 2020 through the fiscal 2027 budget, drawn from city, county and state records.
Weber County's tax year 2025 report shows $8,343,019.25 in property tax increment going to nine Ogden redevelopment project areas, led by the Airport CRA. The Ogden School District's taxes made up more than half of it.
Weber County's tax year 2025 report shows $8,343,019.25 in property tax increment going to nine Ogden redevelopment project areas, led by the Airport CRA. The Ogden School District's taxes made up more than half of it.
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HBME issued clean opinions on Ogden's financial statements each year, but its compliance reports listed state budget violations in five of six years and federal findings in fiscal 2020 and 2025.
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The 2024 audit found the city covered $15 million in airport losses from its general fund and Business Depot Ogden fund. The city's fiscal 2025 audit flagged a federal airport grant report filed 15 months late.
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Three interfund loans to the agency are past their original due dates of 2016, 2018 and 2021. The city's fiscal 2025 report says it does not expect full repayment and plans to ask the council to extend or forgive them.
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The redevelopment bond's $3.47 million payment was covered by pledged sales tax revenue, and the parking bonds' first payment came from capitalized interest. The new parcels produced $34,632 in tax increment, all passed through.
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Most of the increase came in fiscal 2024, when the city and its building authority issued $127 million in bonds for the WonderBlock development. Net debt reached 45% of the state limit.
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The city's outside auditors flagged general fund balances of 27.8% of revenue in fiscal 2020 and 39.42% in fiscal 2024, above the legal limits; the city then drew its reserves down by $16 million in fiscal 2025.
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On July 14, Ogden's redevelopment agency voted 4-3 to let the Thorstensen Building's developer build 25 income-restricted artist lofts instead of about 30 market-rate units, and 6-1 to approve up to $290,000 in tax increment for 10 for-sale townhomes on Adams Avenue.
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Ogden's description of the Taylor Canyon land it plans to buy from the school district went from about 2.6 acres for $948,546 in May to about $700,000 in August, with city records giving the acreage as both 1.19 and 1.91. The council voted 4-2 to refill its park reserve with $700,000.
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The agreement Ogden's redevelopment agency approved in March 2025 caps payments to Williams International at $22 million in tax increment, paid in installments through 2048. Payments depend on construction milestones, and the agreement says it ends if the expansion isn't substantially complete by the end of 2026.
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Ogden proposed moving up to $7,537,550 from its water, sewer, storm sewer and refuse funds to the general fund in fiscal 2027 as a 12% charge in lieu of taxes. A separate 5% administrative charge comes on top. City records describe the two charges in different ways.
