80% Fire Tax INCREASE

Fire Scrooge

Wow, Merry Christmas Wasatch taxpayers, here's your present - 80% increase in your fire district property taxes, compliments of your Fire Board, aka Wasatch County Council.   Why? Is it because there hasn't been an increase in mil levy since 1988?  Or because of growth? Or because other districts get more?  Or because it will save homeowners on insurance? (see wasatchcountyfire.com)

Or is it because of nearly One Million dollars in "legal fees" 2011-13?   Or perhaps $100,000 in "director fees" since 2011 (also known as Council/Fire Board payments).    It couldn't be for Jordanelle Fire Station, because they created a NEW assessment area to collect $671,000 from those residents (after losing a law suit over the previous one).  

Wait, where did that payment in the law suit come from?  Could that have something to do with $892,891 in "bad debts" in 2010? 

This increase might have something to do with the change to an earlier budget suggesting a transfer of $500,000+ from "capital projects."   Could this increase have been influenced by paying $92,536 to the fire chief in 2010 (gross compensation, per utahsright.com)  Is there a big pay raise buried in these budget numbers?    

 Has the Fire Board already approved this tax increase, or will the vote be taken on the 27th?  Well, at least there's a public hearing on Dec 27 to answer these, and other, questions.