Auditing Providence
The Ledger's review of Providence's budgets, audits, debt and redevelopment money. 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 Providence: What the city's audit and budget show
A guide to Providence, Utah's finances, drawn from the city's audit for fiscal 2025 and the fiscal 2027 budget ordinance. It covers fund balances, utility debt, the audit's findings and decisions coming up.
Read the explainer →Key figures
- $9,857,728Governmental fund balances, June 30, 2025Auditing Providence: What the city's audit and budget show →
- $9,283,000Utility revenue bonds outstanding, June 30, 2025Auditing Providence: What the city's audit and budget show →
- 19.03%Proposed library tax increase removed in May 2026Providence dropped a 19% library tax increase and put an advisory question on the ballot →
- $1.34 millionSolid waste fund balance owed to other funds, June 30, 2025Providence's garbage fund earned $310,052 but owed the water fund $1.34 million →
- $7.51 million2021 bonds outstanding, June 30, 2025Providence's fiber network made money but its cash fell by $983,223 →
- $983,223Fiber fund cash decline, fiscal 2025Providence's fiber network made money but its cash fell by $983,223 →
- About 90%Providence's share of 1200 South sewer project, per city manager1200 South sewer work runs past its contract completion date →
Debt and bonds
Providence's fiber network made money but its cash fell by $983,223
Providence's fiber fund reported $376,911 in operating income in fiscal 2025. Construction and debt payments cut its cash from $1.65 million to $663,934, and it still owed $7.51 million on 2021 bonds.
Budgets, reserves and taxes
Providence's garbage fund earned $310,052 but owed the water fund $1.34 million
Providence's solid waste fund turned an operating profit in fiscal 2025, its first full year of city-run service. The fund also owed $1,342,782 to the culinary water fund and reported a deficit in unrestricted net position.
Providence dropped a 19% library tax increase and put an advisory question on the ballot
In May, Providence's council removed a proposed 19.03% property tax increase for a city library from its tentative budget. It chose a nonbinding Nov. 3 ballot question instead.
Contracts and spending
1200 South sewer work runs past its contract completion date
Providence is paying for about 90% of a new sewer line at SR-165 and 1200 South. September minutes, not yet approved, say the contracted Sept. 15 completion date had passed and work was expected to finish by the end of October.