By Pamela Manson | [email protected]

Property taxes could increase in South Jordan as a way to fund a new fire station and keep four-minute response times to calls. 

The city council is proposing a 5 percent tax increase, as well as the refinance of an existing bond. If approved, residents would pay approximately $18.99 more a year on a home valued at $396,800, and business owners would pay about $34.52 more. 

The increase would take effect this fiscal year, which began July 1. The last tax increase was in 2007.

The change would bring in approximately $500,000, which would go toward paying 41 percent of the bond for the new Fire Station 64, while the remaining 59 percent would be paid with existing funds. 

A truth-in-taxation hearing will be held in August at South Jordan City Hall, 1600 West Towne Center Drive. The exact date and time are pending. Visit www.sjc.utah.gov/ for an update. 

Even with an increase, the proposed tax rate for this year would have an effective 1 percent decrease from the 2017 certified tax rate, City leaders said in its South Jordan Focus newsletter. 

A certified tax rate is the rate that produces the same revenue as the previous year. If the rate is increased, the city or other governmental entity must hold a truth-in-taxation hearing.

Population growth on the west side of the city is cited as the reason for the construction of Fire Station 64 — and therefore a tax increase. The station will be on the southeast corner of Mountain View Corridor and Lake Avenue. In addition to two fire crews, it will have a police substation and space for community use. 

Station 64 is tentatively scheduled to be completed in December 2020. It will be the fourth of five planned stations; the fifth is expected to be built west of Mountain View Corridor in the next few years. 

City officials pointed out in the South Jordan newsletter that in 2017, South Jordan received 15 cents of every one dollar paid in property taxes. The rest goes to the Jordan School District, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake County library, Central Utah Water Conservancy, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy and South Valley Sewer, among other agencies and governmental entities. 

The city’s 15 percent is used to pay all police costs and 22 percent of fire costs, according to the newsletter. Sales tax covers the rest of the money the fire department needs. 

In the newsletter, South Jordan leaders encouraged residents to support their local businesses as a way of keeping taxes low. 

“The city utilizes sales tax revenue to cover inflation instead of raising your property taxes,” the newsletter reads.