The proposal was announced July 10. A Truth in Taxation public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12, 2026, at 6 p.m. at Draper City Hall, 1020 E. Pioneer Road. The hearing date remains subject to final approval by the Salt Lake and Utah County auditors, and the tax-rate proposal had not been approved as final in the city’s notice.

What the proposed budget includes

Draper’s proposed General Fund budget for fiscal 2026-27 totals $54,133,400. The plan also includes a $3,295,700 appropriation from General Fund balance.

The proposed spending plan includes a 5% salary adjustment and four additional public-safety positions. The tax proposal is part of a multiyear plan to stabilize public-safety funding, according to the approved city materials.

Those figures describe a proposed budget and proposed tax-rate change, not a final increase for residents. The packet does not provide enough assessed-value or levy information to calculate what the proposal would mean for an individual homeowner’s bill.

Hearing is the next public step

The Aug. 12 hearing will give Draper residents a scheduled opportunity to address the proposed rate before the city moves toward final action. The hearing is required under the city’s Truth in Taxation process, but the date itself still depends on approval by the two county auditors.

For residents tracking the proposal, the key distinction is between the announced 25% rate increase and the final tax rate adopted after the hearing and approval process. The city’s budget documents identify the hearing date and the proposed financial plan, while the July 10 city notice identifies Mayor Walker as the official proposing the increase.

Garbage service change also starts in August

Draper is also preparing for a separate change affecting household service. The city approved moving garbage and recycling collection to ACE Recycling and Disposal effective Aug. 17, 2026.

The Draper Herald reported that the City Council voted July 7 to transfer the service to the private hauler and that garbage and recycling pickup would rise by $4 per month beginning Aug. 17. That service change is approved and scheduled, unlike the property-tax-rate proposal, which remains subject to the public hearing and final approval process.

Together, the proposed tax-rate increase and the scheduled garbage-service change put two different city costs before Draper households in August. The tax proposal is tied to the city’s fiscal 2026-27 budget and public-safety staffing plan; the garbage change concerns the contractor and monthly collection charge.

The immediate deadline for the tax issue is the scheduled Truth in Taxation hearing at Draper City Hall on Aug. 12 at 6 p.m., provided the Salt Lake and Utah County auditors grant final approval for the hearing date.

The Draper City Council approved the contractor change through Resolution 26-35 on July 7. The city announced the transition on July 9, saying collection will continue without interruption while ACE assumes responsibility for residential curbside service on public streets.

What changes on August 17

The new base residential rate will be $19 per month for one garbage can and one recycling can. The rate for each additional can will increase from $10 to $10.50.

For a household using one garbage can and one recycling can, the change amounts to $4 more per month, or $48 more per year if the rate remains in effect for 12 months.

What stays the same

Draper says pickup days and routes will not change. Residents should continue using the garbage and recycling cans they already have; the city says there is no need to replace them.

Draper City will continue managing customer billing through Xpress Bill Pay. Residents will not move to direct billing from ACE as part of the transition.

Unless the city issues a later update, households should continue following their current collection schedule and using their existing containers before and after August 17.

Why Draper approved the switch

The city said higher operating expenses and liability claims prompted a review of the costs of continuing garbage and recycling collection in-house versus hiring a contractor. Draper said both options required a rate increase this year.

According to the city, continuing city-managed service was projected to require a 67% increase, compared with a projected 27% increase under the ACE contract. The city selected ACE through a competitive request-for-proposals process.

Draper also said the contract is expected to reduce city budget costs connected with facilities, vehicles and staffing, as well as lower the city’s liability exposure. The city acknowledged that staffing reductions are part of the transition but did not provide additional employee-outcome details in its announcement.

Who is affected

The change covers residential curbside garbage and recycling collection on public streets in Draper. It does not change the ACE service already provided on private roads, according to the city.

For most households receiving the standard service, the immediate practical effects are a $4 monthly increase and a change in the company performing collection. The city says the schedule, routes, containers and billing system will remain in place as the August 17 transition approaches.

Sources

• City of Draper garbage and recycling transition notice
• Draper Herald report on council approval

Under the adopted budget, volumetric water-and-sewer rates rise 2.5% and electric rates rise 2.6%. Residential garbage collection increases from $12 to $14 per month beginning August 1, 2026.

The utility changes are rate adjustments, not a guarantee that every customer’s total bill will rise by the same percentage. Actual bills will depend on factors such as water use, electricity consumption, account type and other billing details.

Property-tax rates remain unchanged

The general city property-tax rate remains 50 cents per $100 of assessed value. The downtown service-district rate remains 12 cents per $100.

Unchanged rates do not mean every property owner’s total tax bill will stay the same. Individual bills can change when assessed values change, and properties in the downtown service district are subject to the additional district rate.

Capital spending includes facilities and public works

About $20 million is budgeted for capital projects and purchases. The planned spending includes public-safety and public-works equipment, courthouse repairs, parking, planning for a renovation of CoMMA and stormwater-system planning.

These are budgeted or allocated plans, not evidence that all of the work has been completed. Individual projects may move forward on separate schedules during the fiscal year.

What changes when

The fiscal year began July 1, but the residential garbage-fee increase takes effect August 1. The clearest immediate household change is the additional $2 per month for eligible residential garbage service.

Businesses and other utility customers may also see higher charges under the adopted water-and-sewer and electric rate changes. The practical effect will vary based on usage, account details and service eligibility.

Morganton’s adopted budget keeps the city’s tax-rate schedule steady while shifting some costs through utility and garbage-fee increases and directing capital money toward public services, facilities, equipment and long-term infrastructure planning.

Sources

• The Paper budget report
• City of Morganton tax-rate information