Draper residents will see a 25% property tax increase on their next bills. The city's fall newsletter, published Monday, Aug. 31, also lines up community events running from Sept. 10 through mid-October.

The September/October edition of Draper Forward bundles practical information on property taxes, upcoming festivals, Halloween safety, leash laws and the Notify Draper emergency alert system.

What the tax increase means

The Draper City Council approved the tax rate hike on Aug. 18, raising the rate from .000902 to .001128. For a primary residence valued at $941,000 in Salt Lake County, that works out to about $9.75 more per month, or roughly $117 per year, according to city budget documents.

The increase generates about $2.7 million in new annual revenue.

The city said the money will fund three new firefighter positions, reduce reliance on the city's fund balance for day-to-day operations and continue annual playground replacements.

Mayor Troy Walker said at the Aug. 12 Truth in Taxation hearing that Draper had raised its property tax rate only once in 18 years. He noted that the city's roughly $11 million in property tax revenue would not cover the $14.3 million budgeted for Police Department expenses alone. Even with the approved increase, $3.3 million would still come from the fund balance, according to meeting minutes.

The Utah Taxpayers Association flagged Draper in early August as one of nine entities holding a Truth-in-Taxation hearing for the third straight year. Billy Hesterman, the association's president, said in an Aug. 4 statement that "property-tax increases should never happen on autopilot," according to Utah Policy.

Fall events on deck

The first big date is the Lights & Ladders Safety Fair on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Draper Park. The Draper Fire and Police Departments host the event, which features fire and police vehicle tours, live fire demonstrations, extrication demos, a Life Flight or Air Med helicopter, and booths from K-9, SWAT, CSI and School Resource Officer units. The city said the fair runs rain or shine but could be postponed for severe weather. Call (801) 576-6584 for updates.

The International Arts & Crafts Festival follows on Saturday, Sept. 12. The city's Community Engagement and Events Committee discussed the event at its Aug. 26 meeting. All vendors must sell handmade goods; multi-level marketing products are not allowed.

Later this fall, the Haunted Trail returns to Ballard Arena from Thursday, Oct. 15, through Saturday, Oct. 17, running 4:30 to 10 p.m. each night.

Sign up for Notify Draper

The newsletter also encourages residents to sign up for Notify Draper, the city's alert system that sends email or text notifications about emergencies, traffic and construction updates, and community news. Registration is available at draperutah.gov.

The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 6:30 p.m. at 1020 E. Pioneer Rd. The Community Engagement and Events Committee meets Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m. at Draper City Hall.