The Draper City Council approved a property tax increase during its August 18 meeting as part of the final budget. The proposal seeks to increase the city's portion of the property tax rate by 25% for the 2026-27 fiscal year to address structural budget shortfalls.
Mayor Walker, acting as the city's budget official, proposed the increase to ensure stable funding for public safety, including police and fire services. According to city information, property taxes currently cover less than 50% of public safety costs, and relying on fund balances to cover deficits is unsustainable.
Economic factors such as inflation have increased costs for various city services, including road maintenance, emergency equipment, and park facilities. The city noted that while it implemented a tax rate increase in 2024, additional adjustments are required to fully fund public safety divisions. The proposed increase applies only to the city's portion of the total property tax bill, which also includes contributions to school districts, counties, and water and sewer districts.
For a typical Draper homeowner with a home value of $941,000, the proposed monthly increase for the city tax portion is $9.75. For a typical business with a value of $941,000, the estimated monthly increase for the city portion is $17.72.
Under Utah's Truth in Taxation law, rising property values do not automatically increase city revenue, as tax rates are adjusted downward to maintain consistent revenue from existing properties. This mechanism requires explicit rate adjustments to generate additional revenue beyond new growth.
The city maintains a property tax rate of 0.000936, which is among the lowest in Salt Lake County. Most Draper residents are administered by Salt Lake County, while portions of the city fall under Utah County jurisdiction. County offices handle property assessments, tax rate calculations, billing, and fund distribution.
