The St. George City Council scheduled a work meeting for Thursday, August 20, 2026, to hold discussions regarding an Emergency Service sales tax, according to a public notice published August 14.
The meeting is scheduled to commence at 3:00 p.m. in the City Council Conference Room at St. George City Hall, located at 61 South Main Street.
The agenda for the meeting includes a discussion regarding the EMS tax and reports from the Mayor, Councilmembers, and City Manager. The council may also request a closed meeting to discuss matters such as litigation, security, property acquisition or sale, or the character and professional competence or health of an individual.
Discussions regarding the Emergency Service sales tax include potential revenue estimates of $12 million annually at a 0.33% rate, $18 million annually at a 0.5% rate, or $36 million annually at a 1.0% rate. According to the report, the tax would be restricted to specific purposes, including personnel costs, training, equipment, supplies, vehicles, and facilities for fire and emergency services. The tax would sunset after 10 years.
The proposed tax aims to address several service needs, including improving response times, increasing available on-shift staffing, responding to growth in service calls, and replacing aging apparatus. Current data indicates that the fire department's average response time is 7 minutes and 56 seconds, while the 90% response time metric is 9 minutes and 47 seconds.
Staff suggested that the tax could help fund significant increases in service levels, such as increasing full-time staff from 85 to at least 157 and increasing full-time stations from six to 12. The report notes that the current fire fleet has an average age of 20 years, which is significantly above target standards.
The city stated that it will make efforts to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled members of the public in accessing City programs. Those with special needs may contact the Human Resources office at 435-627-4674 at least 24 hours in advance.
