As your Mayor, it is both a privilege and a duty to ensure that our city thrives through careful planning and thoughtful budgeting. I am pleased to share that I have presented the proposed Provo City budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2025 to the Provo City Municipal Council. This budget reflects hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of hard work and dedication of many individuals within our city's departments. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our finance team, including John Borget, Kelsey Zarbock, and Andrea Wright, who have been in my office on a regular basis for months, exploring options and chasing down answers for me.
My goal has always been to deliver a budget that meets the needs and priorities of our community while maintaining fiscal responsibility. I am proud to say that this proposed budget accomplishes several key priorities without initiating any tax increases or utility fee hikes. Here are the main highlights:
Additional Police Officers: We are funding two additional police officer positions to enhance the safety and security of our community.
Parking Enforcement: An additional parking enforcement officer position will be funded to improve parking management throughout the city.
Zoning Update: We will fund a comprehensive update to our zoning regulations to support smart growth and development.
Employee Retention: Appropriate adjustments will be made to retain our talented and dedicated city employees.
Maintaining Services and Projects: We will continue to deliver the efficient and valued services, projects, and programs that our residents rely on.
My reasons for putting forward a budget with no utility-fee increases include the following:
First, my Chief Administrative Officer advises that utility fee adjustments generally be handled separately from the budget process going forward. This will allow the administration and council to focus during budget season on current funding—rather than requiring us to anticipate dozens of alternative scenarios. Second, and of great importance to me, is that this is such a tough financial season for so many of our residents. You have been hit by increases on many fronts, including most significantly, the large property tax increases implemented by other taxing entities. For some time, we have looked forward to giving our residents a reprieve from increases. I believe that day has arrived.
Pulling this budget together was certainly not easy. I had to say no to things I would have loved to include. We had to tighten our belts. And the hunt for more efficient operations has not ended.
I look forward to the City Council's consideration of this balanced budget and am grateful for their collaboration and dedication. Together, as "One Provo," we will continue to refine our processes and strive for excellence in serving our community.
How about our terrible roads?
How about your thoughtful budgeting including improving our roads (with quality control and not the junk that has been layed down before). Take the south University bridge over the railroad tracks....what a disaster. Then there is 3700 north between Canyon Road and the Provo River. It is only four years old and crumbling. We deserve more than this for our tax dollars. Instead we get pickle ball courts and bike trails.