Council sets proposed 9% property tax increase, schedules Aug. 11 Truth in Taxation hearing
June 16, 2026, 6:00 p.m. · American Fork City Hall, 31 N. Church St.
In a special session, the council unanimously set a proposed property tax rate of .001516, a 9% increase over the certified rate that would raise about $660,000 a year for staffing a new fire station, and scheduled the required Truth in Taxation hearing for Aug. 11. Councilmembers Tim Holley and Clark Taylor said they would likely oppose the increase at final adoption and urged cuts elsewhere, while others said staffing Station 53 requires the money. The average resident would pay about $33 more a year.
From the approved minutes.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Proposed property tax rate and Truth in Taxation hearing date | Approved · 5-0 |
| Property tax impact schedule review | No action |
| Closed session on character or competence of an individual | Approved · 5-0 |
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Taxes and fees
Proposed property tax rate and Truth in Taxation hearing date
Approved · 5-0
Finance Director Anna Montoya proposed raising the general tax rate from the certified .001395 to .001516, a 9% increase generating about $660,000, earmarked under a new state law for fire salaries at Station 53, whose staffing costs about $1.5-1.6 million a year; staff absorbed the rest. The increase would cost about $33 a year ($2.75/month) for the average resident, about 1.4% of the total tax bill. Holley proposed capping raises at about 4% and trimming the 17% general fund growth instead; Taylor questioned vehicle replacement, take-home vehicles and subsidized programs; Carroll and Hunter said cuts would have to name specific services. City Administrator David Bunker said Station 53 needs 12 firefighters (three shifts of four), with 9 new hires and 3 shifted from Station 51; the fire chief had asked for 16. Council may adopt any rate up to the proposed one after the hearing.
- Budget$660,000
- Resolution adopting proposed FY2026-27 tax rate
- Certified rate: .001395; proposed: .001516
- Revenue: about $660,000/yr
- Average resident impact: about $33/yr
- Last tax increase: about 4 years earlier; cumulative CPI since about 18%
- Station 53 staffing: 9 new firefighters
Item 2 · Budget
Property tax impact schedule review
No action
State-required review of the property tax impact schedule; no action needed.
Item 3 · Other
Closed session on character or competence of an individual
Approved · 5-0
Council went into closed session at 6:47 p.m. to discuss the professional character or competence of an individual; mayor's affidavit attached.