Auditing Orem
The Ledger's review of Orem's budgets, audits, debt, redevelopment money and officials' disclosures.
The full audit section: stories by subject, key figures and records →
Background
Auditing Orem: what the city's own records show about its money
A records-only look at Orem's budget, reserves, debt, audits and redevelopment payments, drawn from audited reports, budgets, county filings and State Auditor letters.
Read the explainer →Latest updates
- Politics
State Auditor found no procurement violation in Orem's 2022 school-split study contract
A May 2022 State Auditor letter said Orem's selection of a consultant without a bid fell within a city ordinance exception, and referred open-meetings concerns to the Attorney General.
- Politics
Orem council raises property tax revenue $450,000 for two police officers
The Aug. 27 vote, 5-2, also moved all of the city's general operations property tax into a new public safety fund.
- Politics
Orem's redevelopment agency paid $6.4 million in tax increment to University Place's owner in fiscal 2021–2025
Orem's only active redevelopment area passes 90% of its property tax increment to the University Mall owner under a 20-year agreement; most of the increment comes from Alpine School District taxes.
- Politics
Orem paid $3.56 million toward UTOPIA's bond debt in fiscal 2025, with up to $62.4 million more pledged through 2040
Orem is one of 11 cities that pledged sales tax to cover shortfalls on UTOPIA's 2004 and 2008 bonds, and has paid its share each year since 2008.
- Politics
Audits flagged a deficit in Orem's facilities fund four years running, fiscal 2022 to 2025
Auditors found Orem did not budget to pay down a deficit in its Facilities Maintenance Fund in each audit from fiscal 2022 through 2025, along with other state compliance lapses.
- Politics
Orem's general fund topped the state reserve cap in every audit from fiscal 2019 through 2025
Independent auditors reported Orem holding more general fund money than state law allows in seven straight annual audits, most recently by $4.07 million in fiscal 2025.