Wasatch County government spending continues to rise, but leaders don’t anticipate raising taxes next year.
The 2025 budget plans for just under $119 million in spending, a 55% increase from last year’s $77 million budget.
A draft shared with the Wasatch County Council Wednesday, Nov. 6, shows $118.8 million to be spent for all county needs next year.
Assistant county manager Heber Lefgren said the big jump is mostly due to expensive construction projects.
“The funds include the expenditures associated with the construction of the courthouse, as well as the first-year costs of the admin building,” he said. “So that’s the bulk of the change.”
A third of the county budget, almost $39 million, will be dedicated to capital projects. The largest of those is the new county administration building: the county will spend nearly $17 million on design and construction next year. It will be a three-year project. Lefgren said the county has been saving over the years for next year’s costs.
Another $11.6 million will go to expanding the county courthouse. Next year will be the second year of the renovation project.
Some of that money will also go to road repairs and improvements and flood restoration.
The general fund is the largest share of the budget, over $44 million. That pays for things like the sheriff’s office, the public works department, and other government offices that serve the public.
This year also shows a new section in the budget, which accounts for some of the increase: $6 million in expenses under the new emergency management services (EMS) sales tax fund. That’s because the county collects the sales tax, then transfers it to the Wasatch County Fire District.
Councilmembers will continue to discuss their budget priorities at a work session Wednesday, Nov. 13, and a public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4.
The county must adopt a 2025 budget by the end of the year.
