Eagle Mountain repeals triple-digit tax hike, adopts 69% compromise and new public safety safeguards
After weeks of civic pushback and an organized citizen referendum, the City Council repealed its 183% property tax resolution and passed a 69% increase — alongside municipal code changes that put public safety first in line for the revenue.
By Eagle Mountain The Pulse
EAGLE MOUNTAIN, UT — Following weeks of intense civic pushback and an organized citizen referendum, the Eagle Mountain City Council has formally repealed a previously approved triple-digit tax hike, adopting a compromise 69% property tax increase alongside newly codified fiscal oversight measures.
The road to compromise
Preliminary deliberations. Municipal leadership initially floated a 220% property tax increase to address structural budget deficits caused by rapid local growth and more than a decade of unadjusted baseline tax rates.
Truth-in-Taxation hearing. Deliberations during the public Truth-in-Taxation hearing led council members to lower the figure, ultimately voting to approve an amended 183% property tax resolution.
Citizen referendum. In response to the 183% resolution, residents mobilized across social media and officially filed a referendum petition to place the tax hike on a popular ballot initiative.
Repeal and revised rate. The referendum triggered approximately two weeks of direct discussions between elected officials and constituents regarding essential city needs versus household tax burdens. Council subsequently returned to session, repealed the 183% measure — nullifying the referendum — and passed a revised resolution setting the property tax increase at 69% for the upcoming fiscal year.
New municipal code safeguards
To reinforce fiscal accountability moving forward, the City Council introduced an updated municipal code framework on September 1, 2026, establishing strict spending requirements:
- Public safety priority. All incoming property tax revenue is now legally required to fully fund the municipal Public Safety Fund before any revenue can be allocated toward general government expenditures.
- Mandatory surplus reductions. The code institutes a binding mechanism requiring the city to reduce property tax rates during periods of municipal budget surplus, while restricting future tax increases strictly to documented, forecasted deficits.
The agreement marks a constructive transition from municipal gridlock to actionable compromise, securing the baseline revenue needed to sustain municipal services while codifying permanent civic oversight into Eagle Mountain’s future growth.