Draper residents will get another chance to weigh in on the city's spending plan, which the council approved on Aug. 18 with a 25% property tax increase.

The Draper City Council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 15, to consider reopening and amending the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget. The hearing begins at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Draper City Hall, 1020 E. Pioneer Road.

City Recorder Nicole Smedley signed the notice on Thursday, Sept. 3. It was posted on the Utah Public Notice Website, the Draper City website and at City Hall. The notice does not say what parts of the budget would change.

The council unanimously adopted the $54.1 million General Fund budget on Aug. 18 through Resolution #26-39. That total is up from $52.7 million the prior year, a 2.6% increase. All five council members voted yes: Mike Green, Bryn Heather Johnson, Tasha Lowery, Fred Lowry and Kathryn Dahlin. Mayor Troy K. Walker presided.

The budget raised the city's property tax rate from 0.000902 to 0.001128, a roughly 25% jump projected to bring in about $2.7 million a year in new revenue. For a homeowner with a primary residence valued at $941,000 in Salt Lake County, the increase works out to about $9.75 a month.

Finance Director John Vuyk told the council at the Aug. 18 meeting that sales tax revenue had flattened since 2023, forcing the city to find a new revenue source. Even with the tax hike, Vuyk said, "$3,295,000 would be appropriated from Fund Balance to balance the FY2027 Budget, reducing the City's reserves."

At the Aug. 12 Truth in Taxation hearing, Mayor Walker said Draper had raised the property tax rate only once during his 18 years of elected service on the council and as mayor.

The budget also funds three new firefighter positions aimed at reducing mandatory overtime. Fire Chief Clint Smith said at the Aug. 18 hearing that overtime was taking a heavy toll on firefighters and that the new positions would help maintain minimum staffing levels.

As of Sept. 4, the city had not posted a Sept. 15 agenda detailing the proposed amendments. Residents with questions can contact John Vuyk at (801) 576-6318 or [email protected].