“We’ve got to pay our people what they’re worth,” City Council member Richard Hyer said at Tuesday’s truth-in-taxation hearing, required by state law because of the property tax hike proposal.

Axed from the $252.78 million budget was a proposed 13% pay hike for elected officials, including the seven Ogden City Council members and the mayor.

The property tax hike — aimed chiefly at boosting the pay of city workers — generated the most attention and debate from the public, drawing the large crowd Tuesday night, which spilled out of council chambers into the adjacent hallway. A July 12 hearing on the budget also generated a large audience.

The original budget called for an 18.8% hike in property taxes from $16.3 million, the amount the city could raise without having to go through the truth-in-taxation process, to $19.3 million — up about $3 million. In the end, officials trimmed property taxes by around $300,000, approving a 16.8% hike, which will generate around $19 million in property taxes, up around $2.7 million.

Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner

The 16.8% tax increase — among many others proposed by other cities and the two school districts in Weber County — will boost taxes on a home worth $410,000, the median value in Ogden, from $437.47 to $511.20. That represents a savings of around $8.80 from the $520 that taxes would have totaled under the originally proposed 18.8% property tax increase.

Axing the proposed pay hike for elected officials and trimming “miscellaneous accounts” in each city department reduced city spending by $112,500, figuring in the property tax reduction. Left intact were pay hikes of 14% for firefighters, 8% for police and 13% for other city employees.

Indeed, boosting the pay of city employees was a priority for the administration of Mayor Mike Caldwell, who crafted the original spending plan along with the City Council members.  “I don’t think people should have to beg for a livable wage,” said City Council member Angela Choberka.

The overall budget for 2023, $252.78 million, received unanimous backing from the City Council. The planned spending reflects a jump from the $215.68 million budget for 2022, but federal American Rescue Plan Act funds account for $28.1 million of the increase, according to budget notes.

Aside from raising wages for city workers, the spending plan includes funds to hire 20-plus new workers. That total includes nine in the Community and Economic Development office, six firefighters and five in the police department, including two homeless advocates who would be funded through grants.

Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner

Before taking action, the City Council heard from 49 speakers during the public hearing portion of Tuesday’s meeting. Firefighters and police were among those in the audience and many city employees addressed the City Council, some voicing support for the budget plan containing the tax hike.

Many elderly residents spoke, saying they were on fixed incomes and worried how they would cover the cost of the tax hike. Others said the city should have looked for areas to trim spending to avoid a tax hike.

Hyer said city officials looked closely at spending, where cuts could be made. “I promise you we’ve done that,” he said.

Council member Marcia White noted there are several programs meant to provide property tax relief to eligible taxpayers. More information on them is available on the Weber County Clerk-Auditor’s website.

Several other Weber County Cities and the Weber and Ogden school districts are considering tax hikes for 2023 as well and are in the process of holding hearings. The Ogden increase will appear on tax bills that go out in November.