Council adopts 2024 budgets, approves two targeted property‑tax increases after trimming process

Summit County manager Matt Levitt and finance staff presented a trimmed, balanced 2024 budget and a package of 2023 budget amendments for council consideration. The council discussed whether to go through truth‑in‑taxation for operating funds and, after additional cuts, decided not to pursue a general operating tax increase; it approved limited, targeted increases for two functions where staff argued additional revenue was necessary.

Assessing & collecting fund: Finance staff recommended increasing property tax revenues for the assessing and collecting fund by approximately $1,400,000 to fund assessor/auditor/treasurer and related support costs. Staff estimated the impact on an average primary homeowner (assessed at $1.3 million for the estimate) at about $23 per year. After discussion and a formal motion to adopt the PT‑800C form for assessing and collecting only, the council voted unanimously to adopt the increase.

Service Area 6: The council also approved a tax rate increase in Service Area 6 intended to raise about $750,000 in additional revenue. Staff noted that recently annexed properties were being added into the service area and that those annexations will reduce the per‑parcel impact once roll values are finalized in the assessor’s May roll closure.

2023 budget amendments: The council heard and approved several 2023 budget reallocations and new revenues — including reallocation to ambulance services, a North Summit Fire contribution, grants for emergency management (sandbagging equipment and supplies), ARPA grant accounting adjustments, election costs and increased snow‑removal and facilities repair spending — and adopted the amendments as contained in the packet.

2024 county budget: After a public hearing and further discussion about timing and taxpayer impact (several members said 2023–24 was not an appropriate year for broad truth‑in‑taxation increases), the council adopted the 2024 county budget resolution as presented.

Representative quote: "We remain, our recommendation remains to go through truth and taxation for the assessing and collecting fund... The impact on an average primary homeowner is roughly around $23 a year," Matt Levitt told the council.

What this means: The council balanced the county’s overall 2024 spending plan while choosing to target two specific revenue increases rather than broad operating tax increases. The adopted assessing & collecting increase will be implemented through the PT‑800C form; the Service Area 6 increase will be further refined once the assessor’s roll is updated.