Auditing Ogden
The Ledger's review of Ogden's budgets, audits, debt, redevelopment money and officials' disclosures. Every story in the series, sorted by subject, with the figures the records show and links to the official documents.
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Auditing Ogden: what the city's own records show about its money
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.
Read the explainer →Key figures
- $99.6 millionOgden's adopted fiscal 2027 general fundAuditing Ogden: what the city's own records show about its money →
- 39.42%General fund balance as a share of revenue at June 30, 2024; the cap is 35%Auditors found Ogden's general fund over the state reserve cap in fiscal 2020 and 2024 →
- $294.4 millionTotal city debt at June 30, 2025, up from $109.5 million in fiscal 2020Ogden's debt rose from $109.5 million in fiscal 2020 to $294.4 million in fiscal 2025 →
- $3.47 millionPledged sales tax used for WonderBlock redevelopment bond payments in fiscal 2025How Ogden paid the WonderBlock bonds in fiscal 2025 →
- $3.67 millionOverdue city-fund loans owed by the redevelopment agencyOgden's redevelopment agency owes $3.67 million on overdue loans from city funds →
- $15 millionCity subsidies for airport operating losses, 2006–2022Legislative audit found Ogden's airport lost money every year from 2006 to 2022 →
Debt and bonds
How Ogden paid the WonderBlock bonds in fiscal 2025
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.
Ogden's debt rose from $109.5 million in fiscal 2020 to $294.4 million in fiscal 2025
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.
Redevelopment money
Ogden's redevelopment agency owes $3.67 million on overdue loans from city funds
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.
Contracts and spending
No story in the series on this yet.
Audits and compliance
Ogden's audit findings from fiscal 2020 to 2025: HUD repayment, overspent funds and late reports
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.
Legislative audit found Ogden's airport lost money every year from 2006 to 2022
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.
Auditors found Ogden's general fund over the state reserve cap in fiscal 2020 and 2024
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.