Utah County adopts urban-farming ordinance to align with new state law

The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance updating Utah County Code chapter 21 to implement recent state urban-farming provisions.

Commissioners said the change responds to local farms struggling with rising costs and is intended to preserve local food production. Unidentified Commissioner 4 (Commissioner) said she had toured several urban farms in Orem and Provo and in full support of the ordinance, adding it would make small-scale farming "fiscally feasible" and help "preserve our local food sources." Unidentified Commissioner 5 (Commissioner) described one Orem farm that has about "700 peach trees" and raised concerns about owners adjacent to farms facing rising property taxes.

Staff responded that retroactive adjustments to prior years’ tax assessments are unlikely because valuations are fixed when certified but said the county attorney and staff (Dave Schalkhoff) can review appeal options. Staff noted the ordinance’s effective date would be January 1, 2022, under the county’s implementation plan. The chair (Unidentified Commissioner 1) and other commissioners said the county expects minimal fiscal impact based on experiences from other counties and would monitor administrative burdens before expanding enforcement or staffing.

A motion to approve and adopt the ordinance passed 3-0. The commission asked county staff and the attorney’s office to evaluate whether a streamlined appeal or other relief could help property owners who said assessments rose after urban farms opened.

The commission said it will revisit any operational or staffing implications if the program’s use grows. No further public comment on the item was recorded.