Ivins’ new fiscal year begins in July, and we’re facing a significant budget deficit. To keep core services running strong (police, fire, EMS, parks, and road maintenance, etc.) I believe we most likely need to raise property taxes for the first time since 2010.
But that raises a lot of questions that need to be answered before we make any decision about raising property taxes. Here are some that come to mind. Why not just use our savings? Do we really need additional staff and vehicles? What about all the tax revenue we were promised from Black Desert Resort? What are we willing to cut back to avoid an increase? How should we balance priorities moving forward?
No decisions have been made yet. That’s where you come in.
We are starting with a Talkabout meeting on Wednesday, June 18th at 7:00 PM at Rocky Vista University. The meeting will also be available online using the Zoom address: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83748237628.
If you can, please come in person. You’ll have a better opportunity to hear the full discussion, be able to read the material presented, ask questions, and be part of the conversation in real time. And for the Council, there’s no substitute for seeing residents show up and engage directly.
At this meeting, we’ll walk through what’s driving the budget deficit, what a property tax increase might look like, and what it would and wouldn’t solve. We’ll also share key data on cost drivers, revenue trends, what’s driving the budget crunch, what a tax increase might look like, and what it will and won’t fix, so residents can fully understand the challenge and give us informed input.
Whether you support a tax increase, oppose it, or are still deciding, your voice will help guide the City Council’s direction. This is a pocketbook issue that affects every household in Ivins. And it isn’t a one-night discussion.
The input we receive between now and the formal Truth in Taxation public hearing on August 14 (6:00 PM at City Hall) when we finally have to come up with a balanced budget will help determine whether there’s a tax increase, and if so, how much.
Please attend and participate in the June 18 Talkabout. Please share your thoughts anytime at mscott@ivinsutah.gov, and mark your calendar to attend the August 14th public hearing. Let’s make this decision together, with transparency, facts, and public input.
Here is the draft 2026 budget. Some changes have been made that lower the deficit, but it’s still there.