Pleasant Grove: budgets, property tax and The Ruth theater financing
The Ledger's review of Pleasant Grove'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 Pleasant Grove: what the city's audit and budget show
The Ledger is reading Pleasant Grove's audited financial report, its adopted budget and council records. Here is what they show about the city's budget, reserves, debt and redevelopment agency, and what we still want answered.
Read the explainer →Key figures
- $108.5 millionBonds outstanding at June 30, 2025, excluding premiumsAuditing Pleasant Grove: what the city's audit and budget show →
- $14.4 millionAudited general fund balance, June 30, 2025Auditing Pleasant Grove: what the city's audit and budget show →
- $148,430Combined fiscal 2025 spending above final budgets in four fundsPleasant Grove's auditor found four funds spent past their budgets in fiscal 2025 →
- $365,667Estimated new city property tax revenue in fiscal 2027Pleasant Grove raises its property tax rate to add a police officer and two firefighters →
- $34.1 millionLease revenue bonds for The Ruth owed at June 30, 2025How Pleasant Grove financed The Ruth theater, and what its tenant owes →
- $1.45 millionGrove Tower tax rebates through fiscal 2025 against a $1.5 million maximumPleasant Grove's Grove Tower rebates reach $1.45 million of a $1.5 million maximum →
- $5.06 millionPaid to TIMP. SPECIAL SERVICE DISTRICT, the city's largest payee in FY2026, as reported to the stateTransparent Utah: Pleasant Grove City highest-paid vendors FY2026 →
Debt and bonds
How Pleasant Grove financed The Ruth theater, and what its tenant owes
The city's building authority borrowed $35 million in fiscal 2023 to build The Ruth and expects the Hale Center Foundation to repay it through rent. The fiscal 2025 audit lists $34,087,000 still owed and three tenant-funded reserves below target.
Redevelopment money
Pleasant Grove's Grove Tower rebates reach $1.45 million of a $1.5 million maximum
Pleasant Grove's redevelopment agency rebated $739,078 in property tax increment under two of its three agreements in fiscal 2025, according to the city's audit. Cumulative Grove Tower rebates reached $1,449,933 against a listed $1.5 million maximum.
Budgets, reserves and taxes
Pleasant Grove raises its property tax rate to add a police officer and two firefighters
The City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 18 to raise the city's tax rate from 0.000938 to 0.001020, bringing in an estimated $365,667 more in fiscal 2027. The city's impact statement ties the money to one new police officer, reserve and retention funding, and two new firefighters.
Contracts and spending
No story in the series on this yet.
Audits and compliance
Pleasant Grove's auditor found four funds spent past their budgets in fiscal 2025
The city's fiscal 2025 audit reported that its dispatch, swimming pool, community center and cultural arts funds spent a combined $148,430 more than their final appropriations, which the auditor said put the city out of compliance with state law. Each fund ended the year with a positive balance.