[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6530513,"mediaKeyId","3650848-3277bd61d6348df121264785265dd0cd","parentId",3650848,"title","North Ogden council weighs transportation utility fee vs. property tax to address mounting road backlog","audioSeconds",3309,"startMs",3082000,"endMs",6391000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3650848-3277bd61d6348df121264785265dd0cd&start=3082&end=6391","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3650848-3277bd61d6348df121264785265dd0cd/thumbnail_3082000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6530513/Utah/North-Ogden-council-weighs-transportation-utility-fee-vs-property-tax-to-address-mounting-road-backlog","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530513-74c6417216f60bd439a4eda10c69bc65/orig.mp4?Expires=1770978077&Signature=d~969slwk5QMfFwBsBA3G4ZAe40KLHZpvngQ0hC9jDgigG-uujVnRjYy4-E7mTFtFdqKqJmEPk1AXpbw6895bDUspELuyTmaTcfk6alG-HDYEsbYPuARXrgbYlvhEtePaGxoH7vkjvgPzzhVSZuaf1C0pxn7g-bCxN7OIrqoLoBLKZIww-O1Tpic4sytW90Ys3DR9klTeAEXeGeBrvM6fFBt7dCB0R-MwqSPHovr6LKbVj477yES4B9ozrGbLI3kQ5G1~9iHvy7DQtd4gyaTv004WFg4ixodY9JnDfUFWC-Yu2iyfg9trzsYEDhK00To1WkAEn5SXlF0OxbCdB207g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Ogden, UT","date","2025-06-04T14:15:46Z","article","North Ogden City staff and the Citizens Budget Committee presented council members with choices on how to fund a multiyear program to address deteriorating roads, including a transportation utility fee, increases in property tax, special assessment districts and bonds.

John Call, the city manager, and Bowen (city staff member) presented a prioritized list of high‑need streets and sketches of treatment types — chip seal, seal coat and full rebuilds — that together exceed the staff’s proposed near‑term budget. Bowen and Eric Casperson said the prioritized projects total about $4.9 million on the list shown to council; staff recommended a program the city could reasonably deliver of roughly $3.0 million in roadway work in the next budget year.

The Citizens Budget Committee urged a funding approach that would preserve visibility of the road revenue and keep the money dedicated to transportation projects. Phil Swanson, speaking for the committee, said the committee’s recommendation shifted toward a transportation utility fee because it is easier to dedicate funds to streets and harder for future councils to reallocate those dollars. “With a fee, it would be a little bit more difficult to take that fee away and to use that money on something other than roads,” Swanson said.

The committee’s initial modeling showed a $15 per month fee (about $180 per household per year) as a starting point; members and staff agreed that the $15 level would not close the backlog and that higher rates — or multiple years of increases — would be needed to fully catch up. Swanson said that, using committee calculations, a $15 monthly fee would not be sufficient and one scenario that would materially increase near‑term work would be a $30 monthly fee.

Public commenters and some council members stressed fairness and transparency. Brian Bartholomew, a member of the budget committee, said he and others favored a fee specifically dedicated to roads so residents could see the charge and know where it would be spent. “A fee that is … dedicated to roads, everybody I talked to liked that idea,” Bartholomew said. By contrast, other speakers and council members expressed concern a fee labeled differently would be perceived as a tax and that property‑value‑based increases could place higher burdens on long‑time residents with modest incomes.

Council members discussed practical constraints tied to timing, litigation risk and implementation. Staff noted recent state guidance and litigation around transportation fees, including a referenced court decision involving Pleasant Grove, and said that an external consultant would be useful to design a fee program compliant with the latest statutory changes. Staff told the council an outside study could be completed quickly if the council directed staff to proceed; some consultants indicated they could complete an analysis and hold a hearing by midsummer.

Council members gave informal signals about their current leanings: several members said they prefer property tax for clarity and to reduce litigation risk; others said they favored a transportation utility fee because it is easier to dedicate revenue and to show residents how the money is spent. John Call asked the council to provide a direction for the proposed tentative operating budget to be presented next week so staff could prepare the proper truth‑in‑taxation materials, if the council opts for tax, or begin a fee study and public outreach if the council opts for the utility fee approach.

At the meeting’s close, the council did not adopt a final funding mechanism. Council members asked staff to prepare both tracks (property‑tax and fee) for next week’s budget presentation and to return with a procurement and timeline for a consultant study if the council wants to pursue a transportation utility fee. Staff said they would also model revenues and the schedule for a multi‑year program to reach the $3.0 million annual target and would provide sample resident notices and comparisons.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Work Session - June 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff and the Citizens Budget Committee presented options to close a growing maintenance gap for North Ogden roads. The council discussed a proposed $15/month transportation utility fee (about $180/year per household), a property‑tax alternative and other financing tools including special improvement districts and bonds.","taxTitle","North Ogden City Council, North Ogden , Weber County, Utah","taxId",24460,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6530518,"Legacy North HOA asks North Ogden to take over neighborhood roads; city staff and council weigh options",2167,858000,3025000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3650848-3277bd61d6348df121264785265dd0cd&start=858&end=3025","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3650848-3277bd61d6348df121264785265dd0cd/thumbnail_858000.jpg","/articles/6530518/Utah/Legacy-North-HOA-asks-North-Ogden-to-take-over-neighborhood-roads-city-staff-and-council-weigh-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6530518-d60809b5a93c25116086e9126bde0d95/orig.mp4?Expires=1770978077&Signature=OHyzlEKbUf256o1XI8DG7MVtkG9uCujai9r1fJTSEv2c5Rn6~LUgwupQmKgI6jU5XTEGkuwG7P-7cU3qt8MPrYDUtZPCMQRP0r8UFku5GWuAWGOWDmEoNBgfcYZkNVtLbT8itFW4KtYY0hyaIdiELy7Y2dAqgzPzG2VRK70j1veGilbEPpmLbUJWAO~1zOzYO~ttpgk9iaLio6yyFzDSeLZwbwxyOpa2Ak0TIthyuNOp9sPOhjwjFzHI7-hNmZoqyuIYa7~5tDsBcGEgNeErVZh9~o9z~MiZ7~OKcUeLtftMT6FgWIH5HyPUVNhlaHG-ePQyTxx9MPcSGtsnWNxDlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alan Robinson, president of the Legacy North Homeowners Association, asked the North Ogden City Council on Tuesday to accept ownership of the neighborhood’s internal roads or provide substantial financial help to avoid large special assessments for residents.

Robinson told the council the subdivision includes about 76–80 properties and that past maintenance charges and HOA reserves are far short of the cost for the repairs now recommended. “We have a lot of people that live there that are on fixed income and don’t have the funds to be able to come up with the 11,900 or … 12 or 13,000,” Robinson said, referring to the per-household estimate he had received.

The city’s presentation framed the decision as a combination of engineering condition and cost. City Engineer Eric Casperson said the streets were not included in the city’s recent roadway study because they remain private, and that the neighborhood’s pavement shows alligator cracking and is at the end of its service life. Using square‑footage estimates and unit costs from the larger study, Casperson said a rebuild of the paved surfaces within the HOA is roughly $954,000 (about $12,000 per property assuming 80 properties), while some segments may be suitable only for chip seal rather than full reconstruction. “If you use the remaining service life of the study that was from 0 to 20, this would range between a 0 and 4 … This would be recommended for a rebuild,” Casperson said.

Council members and staff pressed on options to limit cost to the city and to homeowners. Robinson offered a menu of possibilities: the HOA could hand over roads and give the city its $100,000 reserve; the HOA could perform immediate slurry or chip‑seal work and then transfer ownership; the city could accept ownership only of 525 East (the main through segment) while the HOA retained the dead‑end Legacy Drive and cul‑de‑sacs; or the city could leave ownership unchanged and provide a one‑time payment (Robinson suggested $300,000) plus an annual payment approximating the taxes the HOA currently pays.

City staff and several council members flagged practical constraints and long‑term liabilities. Eric and other staff noted the private streets are narrower than city standards (right‑of‑way about 38 feet, asphalt width roughly 28 feet) and would present on‑street parking and emergency access challenges if taken into the city system. Casperson added that opening the pavement during a rebuild might reveal subgrade or utility issues, which could increase costs beyond current estimates. Casperson also said some contractor quotes obtained by the HOA were lower (around $400,000–$500,000), but cautioned those figures might reflect a mill‑and‑overlay instead of a full pull‑up rebuild that checks base conditions.

Council members asked staff to study targeted options that might reduce the homeowners’ cost. Ideas discussed included: (1) the city taking responsibility only for 525 East and negotiating a payback or annual contribution from the HOA; (2) combining the work with other city paving projects to realize economies of scale and lower bids; (3) creating a special improvement district or assessment district so the cost would be spread over time as a property‑tax‑backed obligation; and (4) requiring the HOA to perform specified repairs before the city would accept dedication.

Robinson said the HOA would be willing to continue snow removal, which could be carved out if the city accepted the roadways. Council members asked staff to return with more definitive contractor bids, an estimate for a special improvement district, and an analysis of the legal and operational steps the city would face if it accepted any portion of the neighborhood streets. John Call, the city manager, said staff and Casperson would research the special district option and return in a few weeks. “Eric and I will do some research, and we'll reach back out in the next couple of weeks,” Call said.

The council did not vote on any transfer at the meeting. Instead members directed staff to develop specific cost estimates and financing options and to identify how much of the L‑shaped cluster the city might responsibly assume without creating a precedent for taking private streets that do not meet city standards.

Quotes used in this story come from city staff and residents during the North Ogden City Council meeting.","Legacy North Homeowners Association requested that North Ogden assume ownership of 525 East and adjacent streets. City staff presented an engineering assessment estimating a near-term rebuild, and council discussed options including partial takeover, special improvement district financing, or HOA-funded repair.","actionData","errors"]

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North Ogden council weighs transportation utility fee vs. property tax to address mounting road backlog

Legacy North HOA asks North Ogden to take over neighborhood roads; city staff and council weigh options