Woods Cross homeowners will pay about $182 more per year in property taxes after the City Council voted Tuesday, Aug. 4, to adopt the fiscal year 2027 budget following a Truth in Taxation hearing that packed City Hall and ran late into the night.

The 47% increase in the city's property tax rate is the largest percentage hike among all Davis County taxing entities this cycle, according to the county's combined Truth in Taxation advertisement. It marks the fourth consecutive year Woods Cross has held a Truth in Taxation hearing, per the Utah Taxpayers Association.

Every dollar of the roughly $994,000 in new annual revenue will go toward bond payments on a new City Hall and improvements to Hogan Park. The current City Hall is more than 50 years old, undersized and subject to seismic and subsidence hazards, according to the city's property tax impact schedule. Building new is estimated at $13 million to $14 million; renovating the existing structure would cost $18 million or more and still leave a smaller building.

Residents split on the increase

Speakers at the hearing represented a range of views. Some supported the project, others opposed it, and many landed somewhere in between, the Davis Journal reported.

Parents said their children love Hogan Park as it is and worried that construction would destroy large trees and green space. Resident Cole Checketts, husband of Councilmember Julie Checketts, told the crowd the trees are diseased and would need to come down regardless of the project. Councilmember Checketts said the city could salvage the wood for use in the new City Hall to "carry on the honor of those trees that have shaded so many generations of families."

Other residents asked whether the city could build a separate police station instead of replacing City Hall entirely. Councilmember Checketts said even a standalone police building would still require replacing the aging City Hall, and two structures would cost more. City Administrator Bryce Haderlie told the council that splitting the bond into two separate instruments would also be more expensive because of fees.

Officials defend the timeline

Mayor Ryan Westergard acknowledged the financial strain on residents. "I know what it's like for money to be tight. I've been there. We're your neighbors," Westergard said. "... But the longer we put this off, the more expensive and detrimental it will be to the city."

Councilmember Rachel Peterson echoed that urgency, telling colleagues the longer the city avoids the project, the more it will hurt.

Haderlie urged the council to act, noting the new budget must be approved before the end of August under Utah's Truth in Taxation process. The council voted to adopt the proposed budget at the conclusion of the hearing.

What it means for your tax bill

The city tax rate will rise from 0.001392 to an estimated 0.002079. On a primary residence valued at $513,000, that adds about $182 per year, or $15.20 per month. Businesses face a steeper hit: a commercial property valued at $969,000 would pay roughly $626 more annually.

The council must still formally adopt the certified tax rate at a separate meeting before the end of August. Residents can contact Woods Cross City Hall at 1555 S. 800 West with questions or comments before that vote.