During the public comment and public hearing sections of the Woods Cross City Council meeting on June 2, citizens made their misgivings known about the council’s proposed property tax increase in the budget for the 2027 fiscal year.

The 45% increase is intended to pay for a new city hall building and improvements to the adjacent Hogan Park.

Multiple residents approached the microphone to remind the council about the rising costs of living and the current state of the economy, pointing out that many are struggling even to afford groceries and would struggle to afford the tax increase. One retired resident explained that she, like other retired citizens, is on a fixed income that cannot easily stretch.

Others repeatedly spoke on the difference of want versus need, expressing the idea that the new city hall building and revamped park are a want, not a need. “Do we really need a whole new building?” they asked. “Why not just remodel?”

In response, the council explained that the building is at the end of its life and would be more expensive to maintain than to rebuild. “It’s not what you see that’s the biggest issue. It’s what’s underneath,” said Councilmember Eric Jones, who is also an architect. “It was not designed to handle earthquake loads. We don’t want to scare you. It’s the structure. The cost is the structure.”

The council explained that the city hall needs to be able to function as an EOC (Emergency Operations Center), and the current building cannot. It does not meet fire suppression and seismic codes. The council members stated that this is a need for the community because in the event of a disaster, citizens need a safe place to shelter.

The council thanked the residents for their comments. Councilmember Wallace Larrabee assured the room that the council takes input from citizens seriously and wants to consider everything before making a decision.

“This is not something we take lightly,” said Jones.

Councilmember Jim Grover said the current city hall building is bursting at the seams, and Councilmember Rachel Peterson expressed the importance of a safe workplace for the administrative staff of city hall. She said that the proposed tax increase “will be a burden to all of us,” but when it comes to safety and seismic concerns, the city can’t procrastinate. “We are not playing a game,” Peterson said.

“We’ve been shaking the couch cushions,” said Grover, referencing the city’s sale of forgotten properties, “bringing cash to the table. We’re doing as much as we can.” This includes being extremely careful about the budget and cutting costs wherever possible.

The residents expressed understanding of the need for a new building, but many were still concerned. When a few proposed the idea of only constructing the building and not revamping the park, Councilmember Julie Checketts pointed out that construction sites require space, and that in the process of building the new city hall, the park would be torn up from construction and need to be rebuilt.

Multiple citizens wanted the final decision on the tax increase to go to a vote so the people of Woods Cross would have a say in what they will be paying for.

“We can do more for our residents by making [city hall] a place they can use and enjoy,” said Grover. Larrabee said the new city hall would be “the crown jewel” of Woods Cross.

Checketts said that when planning, you want the building to last 50 years. The current city hall building is 60. “We’re not planning just for today’s needs,” she said. “We are planning for 50 years down the road.”