It’s a story that isn’t as flashy as our new City Center Christmas light display, but it’s arguably even more important to families dealing with the impact of inflation.

Building big without raising taxes

It would be easy to say “Let’s just raise taxes” to fund big projects. However, we have taken a different route, showing that there is another way for cities to meet their capital needs without increasing the burden on taxpayers.

Here are some of our recently completed big projects, all finished or near completion, without a tax increase:

• A $37 million new City Hall — replacing outdated facilities, increasing efficiencies and adding a state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center.
• A $30 million, 10-million-gallon water tank that boosts our storage capacity by 34%, which will be critical for both everyday and emergency use.
• A $20 million, state-of-the-art water reuse facility that will reduce drinking water consumption by 10%, saving more than 175 million gallons annually.
• A beautiful new $13 million park at Hillcrest, transforming a former school site into one of the most popular regional parks in the area, with a wide variety of activities and events.

Other cities ask us all the time: How is Orem able to do this?

Step one: Refuse to see tax increases as the only solution

In Orem, we look beyond the obvious. We do not consider a tax increase our first, second or third option. We dig deeper and look further.

Grants and external funding

We created a dedicated Strategy & Innovation Team with a professional grant writer who has helped secure millions in outside funding.

My office personally helped bring in more than $13 million from county, state and federal sources. These funds multiply the impact of every local dollar.

Reimagining the city org chart

We’ve been able to save significant money by rethinking the structure of our city departments. By combining certain jobs and focusing on maximum efficiency, good things are happening.

For example, we asked our recreation director, who runs one of the few profitable city-run recreation centers in Utah, to lead the library as well. He and his team studied top-performing libraries around the state. The result? In just one year, library foot traffic increased by 27%, and a complete improvement plan is underway. These types of changes resulted in nearly $2 million in savings.

Strong financial foundation

Orem was recently awarded the highly coveted AAA credit rating for strong economic outlook, sound fiscal policy and low debt levels. This is an important piece to keeping the taxes low in Orem because the city can access the lowest borrowing rates available, resulting in millions of dollars of interest savings over time.

Management and operational efficiency

We engaged a professional consulting group to evaluate the operations of every department. With their recommendations, we’ve implemented smarter processes and delivered better results.

Our Citizen Connect app enables residents to report issues and suggest improvements in real time, making government services faster, more responsive and more accountable.

The Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce was so impressed by how leanly and efficiently Orem is run that they awarded us their Business of the Month — the first time a city has ever received that honor.

Step two: Focus on fueling a thriving business ecosystem

So much of our ability to do what we do as a city comes from our incredible business community. In turn, we do everything we can to support local businesses, make it easy for them to start a business and treat them as our true partners.

More than 3,000 new businesses have opened in Orem during the past four years — 488 this year alone. Orem is consistently ranked as one of the best places in America to start a business. We now generate the third-highest sales tax revenue in the state despite being only Utah’s sixth-largest city.

We also work hard to protect our commercial corridors from overdevelopment and high-density housing, ensuring long-term economic vitality. Our Orem Business Alliance connects local businesses with the resources they need to grow and thrive.

Step three: Keep working to be the best

From day one, I’ve challenged every department in Orem to become the best in the state. Many have not only met that challenge, they’ve exceeded it.

What sets Orem apart is our mindset. We refuse to settle for “how things have always been done.” We question assumptions, measure results and continually seek ways to improve every single day. This culture of improvement spans every level of city government, and it only works when elected leaders, city employees and residents work together toward smarter solutions and a stronger future.

We’re not just managing growth, we’re shaping it. Every decision we make is rooted in the belief that Orem is Family City USA, and we owe it to our families to build a safe, affordable and exceptional community.