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Possible fire service tax increase for Eagle Mountain January 13, 2018, 8:36 amUFA officials are currently proposing a 9.56 percent tax increase which they say would mean a $23.78 annual increase on the property tax for a $250,000 home and an increase of $43.24 on a business of the same value. Currently, Eagle Mountain residents pay an average of $248.65 per year on a home of that size. The increase is necessary, they say, because the UFSA is not receiving sufficient funding to maintain services and is using its fund balance to do so. They also say it is necessary to have a funding mechanism to replace outdated equipment and provide firefighters with a decent wage. If the tax increase is not approved, they would have to cut back services, Chief Dan Peterson told Mayor Dan Painter and city council members at their November 21 meeting. They would begin with support services and then, if needed, reduce four-person crews to three-person crews. (Three-person crews are not allowed by federal law to enter a burning building unless there is a victim inside.) With 85 percent of the UFA budget allocated to personnel, almost all of the reduction would have to be borne by reducing staffing and potentially laying off personnel, Peterson said. The UFA also needs to replace close to $50 million in equipment over the next 10 years. Currently, the funding is not in place to do so. This year, a long-range capital replacement plan has been developed that identifies every piece of apparatus and equipment, its anticipated lifespan, and the current cost. A public hearing on the proposed increase was held Tuesday, December 12. The UFSA board was expected to meet and decide whether to improve the increase December 19 ( after press deadline). Painter told the city council that as a member of the UFSA board he was planning on voting for the increase. Eagle Mountain is the only Utah County city in the UFA. Other members are Copperton, Emigration, Kearns, Magna and White City townships and Herriman, Midvale, Millcreek, Riverton, Taylorsville and unincorporated Salt Lake County. The community news source for Eagle Mountain Utah, Saratoga Springs Utah, Lehi Utah, American Fork Utah, Highland Utah, Alpine Utah, and The Cedar Valley, including Cedar Fort Utah and Fairfield Utah. Copyright 2024 The Crossroads Journal LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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