Cache County • More than 100 residents, including multiple former county leaders, flooded the Cache County Council chambers this month, overflowing into the hallway in protest of a proposed property tax hike projected to generate more than $3.5 million in new revenue next year.
The proposed 20% increase, county Financial Director Wesley Bingham said, comes at a time when the county is grappling with rising expenses across the board — from asphalt to ambulances and snowplows to fire engines. Bingham said the county must also cover other costs mandated by the Utah Legislature, such as new school safety staff.
“We are happy to provide those services,” he said, “and we think they’re needed. But they all have a cost.”
The county currently faces a budgetary gap of more than $7 million needed to maintain its regular operations, Bingham said. The steepest tax hike the county is considering is 20%, but a much smaller increase could be approved, he added.
How much it would cost property owners
Bingham said that while a 20% increase may seem drastic, it applies only to the county’s portion of the property tax bill, not the total. For the average home in the county, this would amount to approximately $5 a month.
If the full amount is approved, the hike would increase property taxes on the average $528,000 home by nearly $65 annually. For the average business property, taxes would rise about $115 annually.
Bingham said costs have risen for several years, particularly since 2020. Rather than raise taxes during this period, he said, the county relied on its savings.
Many attendees at the Nov. 12 public hearing expressed skepticism about the necessity of such a significant increase. A notice sent to residents said the hike would help pay for “competitive wage increases, additional staffing needs, infrastructure projects, and inflationary costs of goods.” Increased crime and costs associated with fighting it were also mentioned as contributing factors.
“It would be easier if this were about one or two things,” Bingham said. “But the truth is, the cost of everything has increased.”
Still, many residents were unhappy with the proposal.
All of the 29 speakers at the public hearing opposed the increase, often generating applause from other audience members. Among them were multiple former county leaders, including Lynn Lemon, who served on the council for 20 years. Lemon argued the county’s recent growth should negate the need for such a drastic hike.
After Lemon asked which infrastructure projects the council planned to fund with the additional revenue, council members told him it was his turn to speak, not theirs.
“But shouldn’t we be able to get answers?” Lemon asked.
Other speakers voiced concerns about how the tax increase would affect them.
“We’re retired teachers, we live on our social security and our teacher retirement,” said Anne Neville. “I am just asking you to consider the very personal repercussions that this tax increase will have on the people that elected you.”
‘If you don’t like it, then please vote us out’
Some argued the county does not currently provide enough services to justify the increase. Ron James, who represented 150 property owners in a remote development south of Hardware Ranch, said his community sees few services.
“The only thing we can really point to is a road that’s unfinished,” James said. “That’s pretty, pretty expensive.”
Former Clerk Auditor Jess Bradfield also addressed the council, asking to ease the shock of a major increase.
“The county is known to be conservative and excessively so,” Bradfield said, “and so I would ask the council to please look at incremental changes over time.”
Following the public hearing, council Chair David Erickson, who was recently reelected after running unopposed, said the county has been exploring alternative funding sources to avoid implementing a full 20% increase.
“We are doing the best that we can,” Erickson said. “Again, if you don’t like it, then please vote us out.”
The council will continue discussions on the 2025 budget and the proposed tax increase in upcoming meetings. A final vote is expected in December.
