Hooper council votes to create Community Reinvestment Agency amid debate over developer subsidies
July 16, 2026 | Hooper , Weber County, Utah
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The Hooper City Council voted to create a Community Reinvestment Agency (CRA) on July 16, approving an ordinance that establishes a separate legal entity the city can use later to implement tax-increment financing for redevelopment.
Cody, a consultant presenting the plan, told the council that creating the agency "is fairly benign" and does not obligate the city to use it: "If you create it tonight and you ultimately say we don't like it, it just sits there," he said. He outlined next steps: filing a notice of impending boundary action with the lieutenant governor, adopting survey resolutions, preparing a project-area plan and holding public hearings before any tax increment is diverted.
The vote followed extended questions about costs and governance. Council members asked whether creating the agency would force the city to convene additional meetings or pay councilors extra. Staff said bylaws and compensation would be set later. Council members also debated the fiscal trade-offs of diverting future incremental taxes to pay for developer-requested infrastructure, and whether grant funding or developer contributions might be preferable alternatives.
Council member Hancock moved to consider the ordinance and it reached a roll-call vote after discussion. During the roll call several members voted in favor and two opposed; the motion carried. Mayor Sher Bingham and legal staff said the city can create the agency now and only adopt a project-area plan later if council votes to do so.
The council asked staff to engage taxing entities (school district, county, special districts) and to return with clarifying language about bylaws, compensation and the specific boundaries and costs that would be associated with any future project-area plan. Staff also noted the typical consultant scope and cost to set up a CRA was cited in the presentation as about $29,500, to be reimbursed through any future tax increment if a project proceeds.
Cody, a consultant presenting the plan, told the council that creating the agency "is fairly benign" and does not obligate the city to use it: "If you create it tonight and you ultimately say we don't like it, it just sits there," he said. He outlined next steps: filing a notice of impending boundary action with the lieutenant governor, adopting survey resolutions, preparing a project-area plan and holding public hearings before any tax increment is diverted.
The vote followed extended questions about costs and governance. Council members asked whether creating the agency would force the city to convene additional meetings or pay councilors extra. Staff said bylaws and compensation would be set later. Council members also debated the fiscal trade-offs of diverting future incremental taxes to pay for developer-requested infrastructure, and whether grant funding or developer contributions might be preferable alternatives.
Council member Hancock moved to consider the ordinance and it reached a roll-call vote after discussion. During the roll call several members voted in favor and two opposed; the motion carried. Mayor Sher Bingham and legal staff said the city can create the agency now and only adopt a project-area plan later if council votes to do so.
The council asked staff to engage taxing entities (school district, county, special districts) and to return with clarifying language about bylaws, compensation and the specific boundaries and costs that would be associated with any future project-area plan. Staff also noted the typical consultant scope and cost to set up a CRA was cited in the presentation as about $29,500, to be reimbursed through any future tax increment if a project proceeds.
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