LOGAN – Cache County residents could see an increase in property taxes in 2020 resulting in an estimated $1.3 million added to the county’s general fund.
The council has held the property tax rate the last few years and they will continue to hold it in 2020, according to the Council Executive Craig Buttars.
However, increased home values means the county will be collecting additional revenue and that “results in a 10% increase that we have to advertise as a property tax increase,” said Buttars.
“We have to adjust for inflation, like everyone else,” he added.
There are an estimated 46,000 parcels in the county that would be impacted by the tax hike, amounting to an average increase of $26.18 per parcel.
Buttars stressed this is only a proposal and “we’re not tied into that 10% mark,” he said. “The council could always lower that.”
Property owners should receive a property tax notice in the mail by the first week of November.
A public hearing on the issue is scheduled November 26.
Please change the hearing from Thanksgiving week – or was that intentional?
The timing of the Council meeting, was probably to ensure less of a turnout to protest the property tax. Logan residents are already taxed to the max!
I’m more than happy to have an increase if that increase will go directly to our officers. They make pitifully little, especially considering the dangerous work they do. It’s a shame how little our officers are paid.
Looking at just the Cache County items listed in the 2019 Notice of Property Valuation & Tax Changes, the percentage increase in the tax RATE associated with the 2019 tax increase was 6.58 percent. (And, of course, this doesn’t account for the increase in the property tax bill associated with the increase in property value assessment.) How can this increase in rate be reconciled with Butters statement, “The council has held the property tax rate the last few years …”?
“Holding the rate” means they are keeping a prior year rate from a year when property values were lower. Please see the $$$ example I posted on Cache Valley Daily.
No more taxes! Try spending less!
According to the Utah State Tax Commission when property values go up the tax rate goes down. This ensures a stable revenue from year to year for taxing entities. In other words each taxing entity like Cache County is guaranteed the same property tax money each year. So in effect “holding the rate” equates to a tax increase meaning more property tax budget above that which is guaranteed by law. This requires truth in taxation advertising, parcel specific noticing, and a public hearing.
It is extremely important for all concerned citizens to go to the tax increase hearing as this is our only opportunity to address concerns (including what will the extra 1.3 millions dollars be used for) with our elected officials before they vote to increase our property taxes or not.
“Holding the rate” means they are keeping a prior year rate from a year when property values were lower. I hope the following example is a helpful for my fellow citizens.
IF your 2018 taxable value was 100,000 and the Cache County rate was .00163
THEN 100,000 x .001630 = $163.00 TAX.
This becomes the property tax revenue on your property that Cache County is guaranteed each year by state law.
IF your 2019 taxable value goes up to 150,000 THEN the Tax Commission provides a rate lower rate to provide this same income each year 150,000 x .0010867 = $163.00 TAX
HOLDING THE RATE IN 2019 PROVIDES 150,000 x .001630 = 244.00 TAX
In closing, I hope that at OUR public meeting OUR local elected officials value transparency to their population regarding the proposed budget increase rather than spinning a tax increase as “holding the rate” thinking the population is too naive to know the difference.