Draper homeowners would pay about $8.66 more per month in city property taxes under a proposed 25% rate increase heading to a public hearing Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers at 1020 E. Pioneer Road.

The hearing is residents' last formal chance to weigh in before the City Council takes a final budget vote on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m.

As we reported Aug. 4, Mayor Troy Walker is proposing the increase as part of a multi-year plan to close a gap in public safety funding. Property taxes currently cover less than 50% of the city's police and fire costs, according to the city's official tax proposal, and the city has been drawing from fund balances to make up the difference.

Officials describe that practice as unsustainable.

Walker has framed the proposal as a "balanced, multi-year approach" to achieve stable public safety funding without sudden, larger increases, according to the city's tax proposal documentation.

The 2026 proposal follows a rate increase approved in 2024, which broke a 17-year freeze on Draper's property tax rate. Both increases are steps in the same long-term plan to fully fund public safety.

Beyond staffing, the city points to inflation-driven cost increases for road construction, emergency vehicles, park maintenance and contractor services as additional reasons for the proposed bump.

What it costs

Draper's current rate of 0.000936 remains one of the lowest in Salt Lake County. Under the proposal:

• The average Draper homeowner (home value: $807,000) would see an $8.66 monthly increase on the city portion of their tax bill.
• The average business owner (property value: $1,000,000) would pay an additional $19.50 per month.
• For residents in the Utah County portion of Draper, the state's official notice shows the city tax on an $838,000 home would rise from $415.73 to $519.90 per year, an increase of $104.17 annually.

If approved, the increase would generate an additional $122,224 in annual revenue from the Utah County portion of the city alone, according to the state's published notice.

How to participate

The Aug. 12 hearing runs from 6 to 7 p.m. Residents who cannot attend in person can join virtually at bit.ly/drapertaxhearing (Zoom Meeting ID: 894 6642 4795, Passcode: 413389).

The council formally set the hearing date on June 2 via Resolution #26-27, presented by Finance Director John Vuyk.

Full documentation on the proposed increase is available at draperutah.gov/city-government/budgets-and-finances/property-tax, or residents can call 801-576-6318 with questions. The final budget adoption vote is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m.