Financial Facts from the Board: Certified Tax Rates & Truth in Taxation

Do you know how Utah’s property tax system works?
In Utah, property tax rates adjust each year so the taxing entity will receive the same total tax proceeds it received in the prior year, except for any new property developments. This means that as property values increase, the property tax rate decreases so the resulting tax revenue is the same as the prior year. Only new developments that were not on the tax rolls in the prior year yield new property tax dollars for a taxing entity. No adjustments are made for inflation. The county auditor and the State Tax Commission calculate this tax rate and it is called the Certified Tax Rate. Governing bodies, such as the Board of Education, may increase the tax rate from the Certified Tax Rate only if they go through a process called Truth in Taxation. Truth in Taxation requires the entity to hold a public hearing to provide an opportunity for residents to comment on the proposal before an increase may occur.

The Jordan School District Board of Education is holding a Truth in Taxation hearing on Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. at Riverton High School.

Jordan is one of a handful of districts in the State that has had just one Truth in Taxation since 2011.

Number of Truth in Taxation Hearings 2011-2021

Want to know more about how District Dollars are working for you?  Please visit our Financial Facts from the Board of Education page.