Each year North Ogden City receives millions of dollars in taxpayer and rate-payer money. The City uses this money to provide services to residents such as water, sewer, storm water, garbage, public safety, recycling, parks, streets, and recreation. Revenues come to the City in the form of sales taxes, property tax, utility fees, registration fees, grants, and other revenues. But who decides how the money should be spent?
City staff members work with the City Council to develop a budget each year that outlines and authorizes the spending priorities of City departments. The budget process begins in February and culminates with a final budget adoption in June. Council budget discussions are held in public meetings and a public hearing is held prior to final budget adoption. After several discussions over the last few months, the City Council adopted the Tentative Budget on May 1st. A public hearing will be held on June 5th at 6pm at City Hall, prior to final budget adoption on June 12th. Highlights in the proposed budget include:
• New full-time employees in the Police, Parks, Water, and Storm Water Departments
• Additional funding for bailiff services provided by the Police Department
• Addition of a grant-funded Victim Advocate position
• Merit and market wage adjustments
• Retirement benefits provided to permanent, part-time employees
• A re-designed vehicle replacement program
• Preliminary work on the 2600 North Intersection Project
• Preliminary work on the new Storm Water Basin/Community Pond
• Continued work on the Barker Park Amphitheater, funded in part through grants
• Replacement of a playground at North Ogden Park
• Phase III of the street lighting project on Washington Blvd.
• Regular road maintenance
• Preliminary work on a new water reservoir
• Continuation of the sewer pipe relining project
• Completion of the new Solid Waste storage building
• Utility rate increases in the amount of $5.87
A copy of the proposed budget can be found on the City website: http://www.northogdencity.com/departments/finance/audits-and-budgets