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Hildebrandt, Konrad
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TAB 6
Daily Herald (Provo, UT)
July 10, 2005
Cedar Hills makes cuts to balance budget
Author: KARISSA NEELY AND CALEB WARNOCK - Daily Herald
Cedar Hills residents will see more than a dozen fee increases and a reduction in services as the
city struggles to balance its budget.
The City Council reined in expenses and added some fees to its $10 million budget for fiscal
year 2005-2006.
Belt tightening includes dropping the library reimbursement program, slashing the Community
Services Department from $149,000 to $60,000, cutting departmental materials and supplies by
10 percent, and slicing mayoral and council education, training and travel expenses by 80
percent.
"The city has a balanced budget, without using a dime of growth revenue. We're not operating at
a deficit," said City Manager Konrad Hildebrandt.
The city would like to increase property taxes, said Councilman Jim Perry. In November of
2003, an initiative was passed with 70 percent voter approval requiring any property tax increase
to go to a vote of the people.
"It's ironic, we did a statistically valid survey that showed our residents favor more services, not
less, and are even willing to pay for them. But we are completely unable to so, because of the tax
cap," Perry said.
The city will work to rescind that initiative, he said.
With the new budget, the city has created new fees and raised some existing fees.
In a culinary water audit commissioned by Cedar Hills, Horrocks Engineers found the city's
existing water rate was not high enough to cover costs. Based on that information, council
members decreased the city's base rate from $7.50 for up to 10,000 gallons to $7.50 for 8,000
gallons.
In addition, those who use between 8,000 and 10,000 gallons will be charged $1 per thousand
gallons over the base rate. Those who use 10,000 to 13,000 gallons will be charged an extra $2
per thousand gallons. Those who use over 13,000 gallons will be charged $3 per thousand
gallons.
Before the new rates went into effect, residents were charged 95 cents per thousand gallons up to
13,000 gallons, $1.25 per thousand up to 15,000 gallons, and $2 per gallon over 15,000 gallons.
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