Counties in Utah won’t be able to purchase land beyond their borders without another county’s permission anymore.
Gov. Spencer Cox signed House Bill 445 into law this month, and it takes effect May 6.
It comes after Summit County bought the 8,600-acre 910 Cattle Ranch; 1,700 acres stretch into Morgan County.
Going forward under HB445, a council or commission will need to vote to approve other counties’ purchases that cross into their own county. Or, the two governments will need to enter into an interlocal agreement.
According to Summit County Manager Shayne Scott, Morgan County lobbied for HB445 this legislative session.
“Even though everyone says we're not feuding, that's who ran that bill,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” March 10. “Felt like it was targeted at us.”
Morgan and Summit counties are working on an interlocal agreement about government and public services for the northern reaches of the 910 in Morgan County.
Without such an agreement, HB445 requires a county to pay annual property taxes on land owned beyond its borders. Counties are otherwise considered tax-exempt, like nonprofit corporations.
Summit County would need to pay taxes to Morgan County as early as 2029.
“It's interesting how it's set up, because any properties purchased after May 6 of this year will have to start paying taxes in January 2027,” Deputy Summit County Manager Janna Young told Summit County councilmembers this month. “But any property purchased before May 6 — we still have to pay taxes on it — but not until Jan. 1, 2029.”
The 910 ranch’s property tax bill may not be large — hundreds, not thousands, of dollars — because it qualifies for the greenbelt tax break for agricultural land.
Morgan County Commissioner Blaine Fackrell previously told KPCW his county is excited that Summit County bought the ranch, since it intends to preserve it as open space with some degree of public recreation.
Although Morganites asked for the bill, Fackrell denied it was connected to the 910 purchase.
Summit County is a financial supporter of KPCW.
