Heber resident Keaton Hansen says it’s a challenge to provide for his five children on a nurse’s salary.
“We are struggling, man,” he said. “I check my bank account almost every time I go to freaking Walmart…. It’s killing me.”
Hansen was among more than a dozen residents who spoke up at a public hearing Wednesday, Aug. 5, urging the Heber City Council not to approve a 4.8% tax hike.
He said he’s “drowning” under all his bills. He wants the city to cut costs, too.
“If we need to cut down on cute little flowers out front, I’m in,” he said. “If we need to prolong [filling] a pothole, that’s cool – I could swerve. I’m serious.”
City staff say the increase is needed to keep up with inflation. If approved, residents would pay an extra $16.83 in taxes for the year for a home worth $800,000.
Heber would collect an extra $174,000, for a total general fund budget of $18.9 million.
Local governments are guaranteed the same dollar amount of property tax revenue every year. The only ways for the city to have a bigger budget are through new growth or by going through Truth in Taxation. But the state’s system doesn’t account for inflation, as Councilmember Aaron Cheatwood pointed out.
“The dollars are worth less than they were a year ago,” he said. “We would be shrinking services somewhere, right?”
Most of the commenters said paring back services would be fine by them. Rick Anderton, a Heber Valley contractor, invoked the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.
“I think we need to DOGE some of the things,” he said. “Being in Heber, I wouldn’t think that we would have much… people defrauding the county or the city, but I’m sure there’s some.”
And Wasatch County GOP chair Patty Sprunt criticized the council’s approach.
“People are just stretching to be able to feed their kids, put gas in the gas tank,” she said. “So, if you persist in continually raiding the cookie jar instead of curbing your spending appetite, people are going to remember and vote accordingly at the next election.”
If the council decides against a tax increase or opts for a smaller change, the city will redo its budget. Finance director Sara Nagel said every department would need to make cuts.
Heber last raised taxes in August 2024 by a little over 9%. Nagel said that was the fifth increase in 30 years.
The city council will make its decision and approve the fiscal year 2027 budget at a meeting Aug. 18.
Heber City is a financial supporter of KPCW.
