Mosquitos are small but can significantly impact public health. The same could be said of the Summit County Mosquito Abatement District.
The district is seeking a 31% property tax increase, which would bring in just over $200,000 next year.
The median Summit County residence would pay $2.73 more each year. That’s 40 cents per $100,000 of a home’s taxable value.
Bryan Stephens, the district’s general manager, said it would help account for inflation, replace equipment and increase mosquito surveillance.
“We do surveillance and collect adult mosquitoes that we take down to the state lab for testing. We did have one pool within the county, test positive for West Nile that's in the northern part of the county,” Stephens told the Summit County Council Oct. 14. “But we did have a couple of horses this year test positive for West Nile.”
Summit County is faring better than other parts of the state in 2026. KSL reports one third of mosquitos Salt Lake City tested in August were positive for West Nile.
Summit County hasn’t had a human case this year, according to the Summit County Department of Health. Utah County saw its first human case in August, the 12th statewide.
Councilmember Tonja Hanson recounted a recent conversation with a resident at the county council's Oct. 14 meeting.
“She said, ‘Well, I love living in Utah because there are no mosquitoes,’” Hanson said. “And I said, ‘Well, there are no mosquitoes because we have a mosquito abatement program.’”
The mosquito abatement district focuses on killing larvae by treating waterbodies, which it says has less impact on other species than the aerosol used to target adults.
The county council will have the final say on the district’s budget and tax increase later this year. The public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9.
Summit County is a financial supporter of KPCW.
