OGDEN — A number of action items were discussed and approved during the Weber County Commission’s weekly meeting Tuesday. Chief among them was the county’s tentative operating and capital budget for calendar year 2025.

Weber County Comptroller Scott Parke discussed noteworthy changes to the proposed budget at the meeting, noting a 1.5% cost-of-living pay increase for county employees and a performance-based increase of roughly 2%. Parke also noted that health insurance costs increased by 9.5% and multiple new positions were created, including one in the county attorneys office, two resource officers at newly constructed schools and additional full-time workers at the county animal shelter.

The tentative budget calls for an overall net increase of 15 full-time-equivalent employees.

Additional budget highlights presented by Parke included a one-time dispersion of $1.25 million to the Culture, Parks and Recreation Department for improvement/maintenance of facilities and infrastructure and facility improvement projects totaling roughly $10.5 million.

Total spending of all funds is expected to be approximately $318 million.

Commissioner Jim Harvey noted that there were 23 budget hearings in 2024 and added that there wasn’t a high level of public participation in those hearings. However, he stressed that those sessions remain publicly available online. Commissioner Gage Froerer urged the public to go back and review the process that led to the budget’s framework.

The county will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Nov. 26 in the Weber Center, 2380 Washington Blvd., to receive feedback on the proposed budget.

The tentative budget report is currently available online at https://webercountyutah.gov/documents/2025-tentative-budget.pdf/. The county hopes to finalize the budget Dec. 17; a final budget must be adopted before Dec. 31.

Approved action items also included a resolution appointing Bryan Hanna to fill a midterm vacancy on the board of trustees for the Little Mountain Service Area, a resolution appointing Froerer as the county’s representative and Commissioner Sharon Bolos as alternate representative for the Utah Counties Indemnity Pool annual membership meeting.

The commission similarly approved contracts between the county and LandGate Corp. and the Northern Utah Economic Alliance, respectively.

Weber County Economic Development Director Stephanie Russell explained that LandGate would list the county’s closed landfill, as the county eyes solar development on the site. Regarding the NUEA contract, Russell noted that the agreement would be a joint venture with Davis County for marketing and data services.

Finally, the commission approved consent items including warrants in the amount of $2.1 million, purchase orders totaling just over $89,000, a number of new business licenses, a contract between the county and Inoel Chavez to hold the Matched Horse Races at the Golden Spike Event Center next month, and another between the county and the U.S. Department of Transportation allowing the county to continue maintenance on Causey Road.