With one councilmember absent from the Dec. 3 Summit County Council meeting, the four others couldn’t come to a consensus on Basin Recreation’s 2026 budget.
That’s because the district is asking for a 15% property tax increase this year. Rather than leave Basin Rec without a budget in a failed 2–2 vote, the council rescheduled for Dec. 10.
Councilmember Chris Robinson could’ve joined the meeting remotely to break the tie, but Chair Tonja Hanson thought he should be able to hear the lengthy public comment first.
“That's why I think we need to continue the meeting, so he can watch the video … hear the public comment before he votes on it,” Hanson said.
Most residents who spoke at the public hearing opposed the tax increase, saying they’re weary of paying more each year to various government entities and districts.
“You guys are just bad timing, because it's happened to everybody here, where our taxes are just going through the roof,” Silver Springs resident Bill Rusconi told Basin Rec representatives. “My taxes have doubled twice in the last five years.”
Basin Rec says the 15% increase would raise an extra $1.3 million for new employee salaries and ongoing costs, such as facilities maintenance and insurance.
It works out to $6.10 extra, annually, per $100,000 of a home’s taxable value. That's almost double the initial estimate in October, which was before the district received final 2025 property values, according to business manager Brad Rogers. Tax levies will continue to fluctuate each year as individual property values change.
Regardless, Rogers said the money would be used to provide services residents expect.
“Basin Rec actually is much more than just the field house,” Rogers said. “We've got thousands of acres of open space, about almost 200 miles of trails that we also maintain, even programs such as Safe Routes to Schools, that provide plowed routes to school children.”
But residents and some councilmembers balked at proposed new hires, such as a marketing employee, with commenter Nicholas Schapper calling the budget “expansion-oriented.”
Councilmembers Hanson and Canice Harte indicated they were against the tax increase, while Roger Armstrong and Megan McKenna thought it made sense.
They will take up the item again at the Dec. 10 meeting in Coalville and on Zoom at 6 p.m. There won’t be public comment but Hanson recommended residents email the council with feedback before then.
Board chair Ben Castro also noted that Basin Rec’s proposed 15% increase is not a 15% increase to residents’ overall tax bills — it’s only for the portion Basin Rec collects.
The state of Utah lists 43 different taxing entities in Summit County, whether they’re cities, towns, utilities, school districts, recreation districts or the county government itself. Their borders are all different, too.
Basin Rec’s boundaries are roughly the same as the Park City School District’s, plus Promontory, but doesn’t include most of Park City proper.
Summit County and Basin Rec are financial supporters of KPCW.
