The Fruit Heights City Council is discussing a municipal tax that would allow the city to collect revenue from natural gas and power. City Manager Brandon Green said Fruit Heights is the only municipality in Davis County not currently collecting such a tax.

Green also said Rocky Mountain Power and Dominion Energy would collect tax and every quarter would send a disbursement to the city. Green was unsure how much the city could garner from such a tax, and told city council members that certain businesses and homes would be excluded from having to pay the tax.

Council members expressed varying views on the topic, with council member Eileen Moss claiming the city should not implement such a tax “just because it can,” but with a specific need for funding that would directly benefit residents. Moss said the city has long been in discussions about building a cemetery in town, and implementing this tax may provide a way to pay for the cemetery. Moss said each year, the city asks its residents what is most important to them in the city and residents rank a cemetery high on the list each year.

Should the council choose to move forward, Green said they could adopt an ordinance in July, and the tax would be implemented starting in October. Fruit Heights residents are invited to attend council meetings either in person or over Zoom and share their feelings before then.

While some council members were in support of raising taxes to build a cemetery, others shared different views.

Council member Jeane Groberg was unsure whether or not residents actually wanted a cemetery. Groberg suggested one way to gauge this interest would be to wait until the new city council members are elected and allow residents to voice their opinions with their votes.

Others felt the issues may be more complex. Council member Diane Anderson said there may be two separate issues at hand. Anderson said the tax does not necessarily have to be used to build a cemetery, and she said that should the city council choose to move forward with implementing the tax, they do not have to use the funds for a cemetery.

Other council members were concerned about raising taxes in a time where many are facing financial crises due to COVID-19 and the ensuing economic recession.

Council member Gary Anderson also said he was concerned the federal government may be raising taxes, and did not want to increase the tax burden on Fruit Heights residents. Mayor John Pohlman said the council will continue to discuss and does not need to make a decision immediately.