There are about four dozen different governmental entities in Summit County that levy taxes.
So the tax notices property owners receive every July look more like an itemized receipt than one single charge.
Residents may notice additional items listed when they open the notice this year, but they aren’t new charges. Utah law now requires bonds to be listed separately.
Summit County spokesperson Bridget Noble says state lawmakers made the change last year. Previously, she says a government’s bonds were lumped in with its tax rate.
Park City Municipal, the Park City School District, the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District and Summit County are all still paying off voter approved bonds.
This November, Basin Rec plans to ask voters to take on additional debt to build the facilities it says is needed to keep pace with western Summit County’s growth.
Recreation officials may refinance that debt rather than simply adding to it, according to District Director Robert Parrish, to avoid sticker shock.
“Whether or not we wrap our current bond around our old bonds, or if we just do a level debt on just a new bond, is a difference of about $50 a year [for residents],” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” July 20. “So we're looking at creating savings by working with Zion's [Bank] to wrap our current debt and potentially refinance our existing bond debt as well.”
July tax notices are not bills. Residents will receive those later this year.
Summit County’s deadline for landowners to appeal their property value, and reduce their property tax bill, is Nov. 30.
But county officials prefer paperwork to be filed prior to Sept. 15, state’s default deadline.
Locals can check their notices to see if they are listed as primary residents, not second homeowners. There is a 45% discount on property taxes for full-time residents, but they must apply to confirm their eligibility with the Summit County Assessor’s Office.
The application is available online.
Summit County and Basin Rec are financial supporters of KPCW.
