The Boulder Town Council conducted a public hearing on August 11, 2026, to address the fiscal year 2027 budget and the Truth in Taxation process. During the meeting, officials discussed a proposed property tax rate adjustment intended to address rising operational costs and fund technology infrastructure improvements.
Town Clerk Elizabeth Julian presented the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, which includes a balanced general fund. The budget allocates funds across four state-mandated pillars: General Government, Public Safety, Public Works, and Community Services. Additionally, the budget includes a Class C Roads Fund, a Building Authority Debt Service Fund, and a Capital Improvements Fund.
Officials noted that the town has operated on a flat property tax revenue baseline of approximately $6,960 annually for over 20 years. Due to rising operational costs, the Town Council determined that relying on savings and emergency reserves was unsustainable. To address this, a proposal was made to adjust the certified tax rate from 0.000192 to 0.000502. This adjustment is projected to increase annual property tax revenue from approximately $6,960 to $19,860.
For a residential property with a market value of $300,000, the annual town tax would increase from $31.68 to $82.83. The town stated that any funds collected between $19,500 and a $20,000 cap would be applied specifically to technology infrastructure. Planned projects include redeveloping the town website for ADA compliance, implementing an emergency notification system, establishing a digital meeting management platform, and upgrading ordinance management software.
The town has historically maintained one of the lowest municipal property tax rates in Garfield County. According to the presentation, the current certified rate of 0.000192 is lower than rates in neighboring municipalities such as Tropic, Henrieville, and Panguitch. The statutory public notice for these proceedings was published via the Utah Legals website, the Utah Public Notice website, the Boulder Town website, and the town's physical bulletin board.
