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As cities around the nation respond to the economic crisis gripping the country, Lehi City appears to be in a safe but proceed with caution zone, according to city finance director Dave Sanderson.
The municipality is doing well when compared with neighboring cities in north Utah County, he said. Several community governments are holding Truth in Taxation hearings in August going through the process to raise residents' property tax to help pay city bills.
Saratoga Springs city leaders have had to cut deep into the municipal budget letting staff go, postponing needed equipment purchases, to make ends meet and still have had to propose a 200 percent tax hike.
Not so for Lehi, said Sanderson. Lehi coffers are OK.
"You determine the health for the community by the continued increase or maintaining collection in sales tax revenue," Sanderson said. "You also look for your property tax rate payment. If people aren't paying their property taxes at a timely rate then you are not healthy."
He said the city has built a budget that is fiscally conservative. Projects that were budgeted can proceed unfettered by financial problems being experienced in other towns.
"We don't have any projects were are not doing," Sanderson said. There are no city projects being put on hold.
"If Dave says we are, then we are," said assistant administrator Ron Foggin of the city's fiscal health.
But safe doesn't mean don't proceed with caution, Sanderson said, and he plans to continue using fiscal wisdom avoiding the economic pitfalls other cities have fallen into.
Budgets will be made conservatively for the fiscal health of Lehi City in the future, and while some cities may struggle and have had to cut back on community projects, for Lehi it's business as usual. |
