Davis cities' incumbents 'didn't raise taxes'
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By Bryon Saxton
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
bsaxton@standard.net
Increase because of school district, county, say the candidates
LAYTON -- The political wave created by public entities raising taxes in Davis County has municipal incumbents treading the issue with voters in their re-election bids.
Council candidates -- mainly incumbents -- say they are having to take extra time on the campaign trail with voters this year to explain that they are not responsible for the tax increases troubling property owners.
This year, Davis property owners have seen at least a double-whammy in tax increases -- a 5 percent increase from the Davis School District and a 24 percent increase from Davis County.
Those increases have been compounded by rapidly rising home values and county assessors recently re-evaluating home values in portions of the county.
But whether voters believe what council candidates are telling them may not be known until after Tuesday's primary election results are in.
Municipal primaries will be held in Clinton, Farmington, Layton, North Salt Lake, South Weber, Syracuse, West Bountiful and Sunset.
The public does not differentiate between county government, schools and city government when receiving their property tax notice, Farmington City Councilman Rick Dutson said.
"They think it's me," said Dutson, who is making a bid for a second term. "They think I am the one that is raising their taxes.
"All they see is a bill," he said. "The whole thing is an education process, and they are just not understanding it."
Farmington did not increase city taxes this year, and according to city officials, has not done so for more than a decade.
Dutson is not concerned with the voter to whom he has had a chance to explain the situation, he said. He is worried about those voters he has not contacted.
Dutson is not the only incumbent having his campaign taxed.
Syracuse Councilman Danny Hammon said he also is having to take additional time with voters in his bid for a second term on the council, because of property tax increases.
The only difference is, Syracuse city leaders did approve a 48 percent tax increase in that city this year.
In his door-to-door campaigning, Hammon said, the tax issue has been brought up with voters, with the greatest "backlash" stemming from the county's reassessment of property and the impact it has had on homeowners' tax notices.
"It is something you talk about with people," he said.
In taking time with voters, Hammon said, he has been successful in explaining to them the city's tax increase was needed to provide competitive employee wages and to increase fire protection.
The enhanced fire protection, he said, will save property owners money on their home insurance premiums.
"I don't think taxes is going to be the dominant issue in this race," Hammon said.
Even with the 48 percent tax increase by the city, Hammon said, the overall tax rate in Syracuse is near the middle in comparison with other Davis cities.
Layton City Councilwoman Joyce Forbes Brown, seeking a second term, said voters she has talked to have not brought up the county tax issue, and Layton didn't raise taxes.
She said most voters are smart enough to know the difference.
However, the councilwoman is apparently not taking any chances. Brown said she has pointed out in her campaign literature that the city hasn't increased taxes for a decade.
It isn't just incumbents having to contend with the political fire generated by the tax increases.
"(Voters are) not quite sure who to blame," Clinton City Council candidate Lori Miller said.
Miller is attempting to return to the council after serving from 2001 to 2005.
Although Clinton did not raise taxes, Miller said, with the various public entities increasing taxes, voters can become confused.
City leadership has fought against spending beyond the budget, Miller said, but there is sentiment out there that voters are upset with the tax increases.
"I have no desire to increase taxes," Miller said. "As far as I am concerned, they are way too high as it is."
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