Property owners across Davis County – in Kaysville, Farmington, Clearfield, Clinton, Syracuse, and many other cities – face the specter of higher property taxes this year.
The estimated increases in affected cities, driven by emerging changes in the funding and delivery of medical services across the county, will be up to 36.1% in Clinton for an average-rated home. The increases in the two Davis County’s fire departments, each serving multiple locations, could be higher, 46.3% in the North Davis Fire Department alone, which includes Clearfield, West Point and Sunset.
Officials across Davis County have been debating and planning the increases for two years, and preliminary figures are now in place to further pinpoint the types of tax increases homeowners and other property owners will face. Taxation truth hearings are scheduled for August, when the public will have the opportunity to speak before officials take formal action.
After some of the preliminary data was released, the Davis County Sheriff’s Office released a press release Thursday addressing the issue, which also acknowledged that most taxpayers are facing a tax jump. However, paramedic services are getting better with the change as the number of paramedic units serving Davis County increases from eight to 11. Instead of the sheriff’s office taking on paramedic tasks, paramedic functions are being shifted to individual fire departments, which is the norm in Weber County and many other counties.
“The new model will provide more access to elite services and expand our capabilities as we continue to grow,” Davis County Commissioner Bob Stevenson said in a statement. The change will officially go into effect on January 1, 2023, but the transition is already beginning.
Additionally, the sheriff’s office said decentralizing paramedics will shorten response times. “It will alleviate some of the barriers that come with large-scale growth, such as congested roads. Clinton residents suffering from a medical crisis do not want to know that their paramedics are coming from Kaysville during rush hour, ”the statement said.
With the change, the nationwide tax for medical services will be eliminated, which offers some tax relief. In most cases, however, this decrease is more than offset by the resulting proposed increases in property tax in individual locations, as the fire departments take over the paramedic functions of the district, hire new paramedics and procure the necessary equipment.
Here’s a look at the effects:
Layton: Layton is an anomaly among Davis County’s towns and cities in that the proposed increase in city taxes is roughly the same as a corresponding decrease in the sheriff’s office tax for paramedic services. The net effect for Layton property taxpayers “will be neutral,” said Steve Garside, Layton’s associate attorney.
The city’s total tax revenue would increase by $ 690,975 in Layton, from $ 8.93 million to $ 9.62 million. The tax hike on an average home worth $ 375,000 would rise from $ 306.28 to $ 328.56, a 7.3% increase, offset by the sheriff’s office tax cut, according to Garside.
A truth-finding hearing is scheduled for August 5th at 7:00 pm at 437 N. Wasatch Drive in Layton regarding the proposed increase required by state law. Then the public has the opportunity to officially discuss the proposal.
Layton Fire Department is already doing paramedic duties like South Davis Metro Fire. But instead of getting funding through the sheriff’s office, both Layton and South Davis Metro Fire plan to raise the revenue from the new property tax levies that they will process. The other Davis County fire departments are not taking on paramedic roles and will be doing them for the first time.
Kaysville: As in Layton, Kaysville taxes would rise by around $ 690,000 to cover the cost of adding medical services to the Kaysville Fire Department’s portfolio, according to City Manager Shayne Scott. The tax hike on an average home worth $ 479,000 would rise from $ 372.78 to $ 470.26, a 26.1% increase, according to figures from the Davis County auditor’s office.
Kaysville’s hearing on tax truth is scheduled for August 19 at 6:30 p.m. and will take place at 23 E. Center St.
Clinton: Clinton city manager Dennis Cluff said Clinton taxes would rise by around $ 700,000 to cover the cost of providing medical services. Taxes on an average home worth $ 338,000 would increase from $ 264.35 to $ 359.90, an increase of 36.1%.
Clinton’s Truth About Taxation Hearing is scheduled for August 10 at 7 p.m. at 2267 N. 1500 West.
Farmington: Tax collections would rise from $ 2.16 million, the no-tax hearing, to $ 2.73 million, nearly $ 570,000, to add to the cost of adding paramedics to the Farmington Fire Department’s duties cover up. Existing resources would also be tapped, said Brigham Mellor, deputy city manager. Taxes on an average home worth $ 494,000 would increase from $ 277.95 to $ 350.76, an increase of 26.2%.
Farmington’s tax truth hearing is scheduled for August 17th at 7:00 p.m. at 160 S. Main St.
Next year, Farmington will finish paying a loan, which will reduce the amount of property taxes the city will require and dampen the increase.
Fruit heights: Tax revenue would increase nearly $ 100,000 in Fruit Heights to cover new paramedic expenses. The Kaysville Fire Department serves Fruit Heights.
Taxes on an average home worth $ 540,000 would increase from $ 520.34 per year to $ 579.15, an increase of 11.3%. The Truth in Taxation of Fruit Heights hearing will be held on August 17th at 7:00 p.m. at 910 S. Mountain Road.
Südweber: According to information on the city’s website, tax revenue would rise from $ 702,000 last year to around $ 932,000 in South Weber. A little less than half of the increase would cover the cost of providing medical services and the remainder would be used for other costs. Taxes on an average home worth $ 410,000 would rise from $ 287.51 per year to $ 343.21, an increase of 19.4%.
A Truth in Taxation Hearing is scheduled for August 17th at 6:00 p.m. at 1600 E. South Weber Drive.
Syracuse: Tax levies would rise from $ 2.91 million to $ 3.39 million, an increase of around $ 486,000, with most of that covering the cost of taking on medical services, according to Stephen Marshall , Administrative Director of the City. Syracuse is considering a second raise next year to generate an additional $ 456,000 to complete the paramedic assumption process.
Taxes on a $ 400,000 home would rise from $ 311.52 to $ 363.66 this year, an increase of 16.7%. A truth-finding hearing is scheduled for August 10 at 6:00 p.m. in 1979 W. 1900 South.
North Davis Fire Department: Tax collections would increase by approximately $ 1.14 million in the North Davis Fire District, which includes three areas in northern Davis County. Taxes on a $ 304,000 home would increase, on average, from $ 176.06 to $ 257.49, an increase of 46.3%.
A Truth in Taxation hearing is scheduled for August 12 at 6:00 p.m. at 381 N. 3150 West at West Point.
South Davis Metro Fire: The amount to be recovered from the fire department, which includes North Salt Lake, Woods Cross, Bountiful, West Bountiful and Centerville, has yet to be determined. However, according to preliminary figures, taxes on an average $ 425,000 home could increase by as much as 114.6%, from $ 67.55 to $ 144.93.
A hearing on the truth in taxation is scheduled for August 12th at 6:00 pm at 255 p. 100 West in Bountiful.
Despite the change and possible increases, officials in several locations say the response has been relatively reluctant, in some cases non-existent.
“It was pretty quiet,” said Mellor, the assistant town manager in Farmington. “I think people are realizing that it is necessary.”
The change is an attempt to modernize the delivery of medical services and keep pace with Davis County’s population growth. The relocation of functions to individual cities will distribute the paramedics more evenly. The sheriff’s office plans to keep the deputies, who are now paramedics, on staff to take on law enforcement duties.