Barbara Christiansen

North county staff

Several dozen American Fork residents spoke out against a proposed 14 percent property tax increase at a public hearing Tuesday evening, saying the city should not ask for such an increase during hard economic times.

Without exception, each person who spoke asked the council members to separate the city's needs from what they considered wants, citing uncertain economic conditions.

Many referred to property tax notices they had received in the past week from Utah County, showing a higher rate of increase than what the council was currently proposing. Mayor Heber Thompson explained that the city submitted the maximum they would consider for the increase to meet the county's publication deadlines, but had pared its list back to a 14 percent increase over last year's rate instead of the more than 40 percent originally considered. Council members decided to let residents vote on which initiatives would be funded.

The initiatives included some new personnel, $250,000 to put toward road repairs and $348,000 to build a trail starting at Art Dye Park. If the city does not construct the trail, it would have to give back $87,000 in engineering costs.

There were several who said 14 percent was still too much of an increase.

Resident Phil Collins said the net cost of not building the trail could be offset.

"The net cost would be $261,000. The $250,000 that you are putting into roads could come from that," he said. "You are asking me in my home to cut my needs because of your wants. We are in the middle of a recession. Let's stretch a little bit."

He said raising taxes would be the wrong thing to do.

"I think that is fiscally and morally irresponsible to do that sort of thing," he said.

Collins's remarks were followed by applause from those in attendance when he told the council not to borrow money.

The City Council is scheduled to take action on the tax increase Tuesday.