Draper residents have a formal path to weigh in on the city's first proposed property tax increase in nearly two decades, after the city posted official notices on July 20.
Draper City published two Truth in Taxation notices on its website that day, one covering the Salt Lake County portion of the city and one covering the Utah County portion. The filings are required under Utah law before a municipality can raise property tax rates above the certified rate, and they formally open the statutory public comment period.
The public hearing is set for Wednesday, August 12, at 6 p.m. at Draper City Hall, 1020 E. Pioneer Road. Residents who cannot attend in person may join via Zoom. Both the hearing link and detailed tax information are posted at draperutah.gov/city-government/budgets-and-finances/property-tax/.
Why two notices?
Draper straddles Salt Lake County and Utah County, a geographic split that requires the city to file separate statutory notices with each county's residents. Both notices were published on draperutah.gov and direct residents to the same hearing and the same Zoom link.
What's being proposed
Finance Director John Vuyk first disclosed the proposed rate increase at the council's Tuesday, May 19 meeting, making the required statement under Utah Code § 59-2-919 that the FY2026–27 tentative budget includes a property tax rate above the certified rate. The council then voted Tuesday, June 2 to adopt Resolution #26-27, formally setting August 12 as the hearing date.
According to the city's FY2023 Popular Annual Financial Report, Draper has not raised its property tax rate through the Truth in Taxation process since 2007. The city's 2022 tax rate was 0.00927, and the 2024 median owner-occupied home value was $762,600, per U.S. Census Bureau data cited in the FY27 tentative budget. The proposed new rate has not yet been published in the notices.
Under Utah's Truth in Taxation law, the certified tax rate automatically drops as property values rise, keeping total revenue roughly flat. A city must hold a public hearing and vote to collect more than that baseline amount.
What happens next
If the council approves the increase after the August 12 hearing, it is scheduled to adopt the full FY2026–27 budget on Tuesday, August 18. The certified tax rate is due to the county auditor by Tuesday, September 1, according to the FY27 tentative budget timeline.
Residents can sign up for Notify Draper, the city's email and text alert system, at draperutah.gov to receive updates on the proposal. The next opportunity to address the council on this issue is the Wednesday, August 12 hearing at 6 p.m.
