Auditing Orem
The Ledger's review of Orem'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.
Start here
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 →Key figures
- $70.0 millionBonds outstanding on June 30, 2025Auditing Orem: what the city's own records show about its money →
- $4.07 millionAmount auditors said the general fund exceeded the state cap in FY2025Orem's general fund topped the state reserve cap in every audit from fiscal 2019 through 2025 →
- $3.56 millionOrem's FY2025 UTOPIA pledge paymentOrem paid $3.56 million toward UTOPIA's bond debt in fiscal 2025, with up to $62.4 million more pledged through 2040 →
- $62.4 millionRemaining maximum UTOPIA pledge through 2040Orem paid $3.56 million toward UTOPIA's bond debt in fiscal 2025, with up to $62.4 million more pledged through 2040 →
- $6.38 millionTax increment paid to University Place owner, FY2021–FY2025Orem's redevelopment agency paid $6.4 million in tax increment to University Place's owner in fiscal 2021–2025 →
- $450,000Yearly property tax revenue increase for two officersOrem council raises property tax revenue $450,000 for two police officers →
Debt and bonds
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.
Redevelopment money
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.
Contracts and spending
No story in the series on this yet.
Audits and compliance
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.
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.
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.
Other findings
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.