06 December 2004

To: All Taxpayers in Weber County

Re: Proposed Property Tax Increase

Weber County is proposing a massive property tax increase as detailed in the following table.

Annual Impact of Proposed Weber County Tax Increase

*Primary residences receive a 45% exemption.

County officials are justifying the tax increase to cover health and dental insurance costs which have increased 14% and 10% respectively and to give county employees a 2% cost of living adjustment and a 2% merit increase. Weber County ’s tax rates are already among the highest along the Wasatch Front, and county expenditures have been increasing at an alarmingly high rate.

1) County property tax rates (excluding library and statewide assessing and collecting) are much higher in Weber County than in other Wasatch Front counties:

Weber County with proposed tax increase 0.003423 (approx)

Weber County without proposed tax increase 0.002917

Salt Lake County 0.002636

Davis County 0.001768

Utah County 0.001245

2)Effective tax rates for local government in Weber County (including county government, city, special service districts but excluding school districts) are much higher than Davis and Utah County and are as bad as Salt Lake County .

Weber 0.75%
Salt Lake 0.75%
Statewide 0.59%
Davis 0.50%
Utah 0.39%

3)Weber County general fund expenditures have grown tremendously in recent years, especially when compared to state government, other counties and combined inflation and population growth:

Annualized growth, 1998 to 2004

State of Utah General Fund/Uniform School Fund 2.7%

Davis County General Fund 7.6%

Utah County General Fund 8.4%

Weber County General Fund 13.4% (excludes proposed tax increase)

A Truth-in-Taxation hearing will be held on December 7, 2004 at 6:00 pm at 2380 Washington Blvd , Ogden . Concerned taxpayers should attend the meeting and let their opinions be heard.