The Heber City Council accepted a tentative $87 million budget for the 2026 fiscal year at its meeting Tuesday, May 6.
City leaders plan to finalize and formally adopt the budget after residents weigh in during a public hearing next month.
Councilmembers said Tuesday they want to avoid raising property taxes.
“I’m not keen on a truth in taxation,” Councilmember Mike Johnston said. “I’m not sure we need it.”
Tuesday’s budget discussion also included comments on plans to renovate City Park and add amenities like ice skating and outdoor dining.
Some, like Councilmember Yvonne Barney, said it’s premature to spend $250,000 on park design without soliciting public feedback on what elements should be included.
“I still feel that there’s some disconnect there with some of the citizens,” she said. “Their attitude is, oh my gosh, you’re doing all of these things – we don’t want it. And then you have others that are like, oh, this is great, I love what you’ve done so far – not realizing that there’s more to come. And they’re concerned about the cost; the cost is ridiculous.”
She proposed conducting a survey before hiring a contractor to draw up designs.
Councilmembers discussed how to pay for new public works equipment and when to hire staff, including a police detective and, in time, an engineer and a planner to expand the city’s planning department.
Leaders also debated the merit of a proposed safety incentive program, which would pay city employees a bonus if they avoid accidents on the job. Johnston was dubious about the idea, saying a culture of safety should be the expectation.
“It’s the expectation that everything I do follows these safety rules, and if I don’t follow the safety rules and I get in an accident, I’m liable to get fired because I wasn’t following the rules,” he said. “That’s my feeling.”
City manager Matt Brower, meanwhile, argued it could be beneficial to reward safety rather than punish errors.
No final decisions about the 2026 budget were made at Tuesday's meeting.
The tentative budget also includes funding for everything from the Heber City Police Department to the construction projects slated for next year.
The new fiscal year begins July 1.
Heber City is a financial supporter of KPCW. For a full list, click here.
