Salt Lake City utility bills could rise July 1 under FY27 budget proposal
Salt Lake City residents and downtown businesses could face higher water, sewer, stormwater, trash, glass and lighting bills if FY27 rates are adopted.
Salt Lake City residents and downtown businesses could see higher monthly utility and waste bills starting July 1 if the City Council adopts the FY27 budget package now under review. The city’s public utility and waste departments have posted proposed rate tables for water, sewer, stormwater, street lighting, garbage, and curbside glass recycling, but the changes are still proposals, not final rates.
The biggest household impacts depend on how much water a home uses and what type of service it receives. Salt Lake City says the water and sewer pieces will vary by customer, and the city’s own examples show why. A minimum-use water bill is projected to rise from $40.71 to $53.90, while a low-use sewer bill would rise from $37.94 to $48.94. For a small single- or duplex-property stormwater bill, the increase would be $1.75 a month, from $8.75 to $10.50.
Garbage and recycling are also in the package. Waste & Recycling is proposing a 9% garbage rate increase across all three cart sizes, along with a 2.4% increase for curbside glass service. In the city’s posted examples, the 96-gallon garbage cart would rise by $3.29 a month, the 64-gallon cart by $2.77, and the 48-gallon cart by $2.17. A subscription glass container would rise by 20 cents a month. The city says those services support roughly 42,000 homes each week.
Downtown and other commercial district properties would feel the street-lighting change more sharply than a typical home. Under the proposed Group 3 rate, the monthly charge for downtown and commercial district areas with enhanced lighting would increase from $60.97 to $91.46, a jump of $30.49. For most residential customers, the street-lighting fee would rise from $5.19 to $7.79, while some neighborhoods with special lighting setups would see different rates.
The timing matters. Salt Lake City Council held its second public hearing on the FY27 budget on June 2, and the council is still in the review phase. The city says the new rates would take effect July 1, 2026 if approved. That leaves a short window for final council action before the new fiscal year begins.
For residents, the practical takeaway is simple: the same budget proposal does not hit every bill the same way. A household with modest water use may see a relatively small change, while homes with higher outdoor water use could see a much larger increase. Downtown business owners should also pay close attention to the street-lighting line item, which is built differently from residential charges and is tied to frontage and district lighting needs.
