Howdy neighbor! Colten here.

Boy, oh boy, is there a lot going on right now. But I will say, my house is going to be a whole lot cleaner and a whole lot quieter throughout the day. I mean, it won't be spotless, but the summer months for my wife and I mean up to 21 kids at our house at a time (our house became the neighborhood house for all the neighbor kids, lol). I love it, don't get me wrong. But I won't miss the tornado of a mess that blew through our house every day.

One more thing: To all those who've stuck with me until now — thank you. I really enjoy writing these newsletters, especially because I know it's helping out some of my neighbors. If you enjoy these, please share them with someone you know. And if you really like these and want me to continue doing them, consider donating to @eaglemountainvalue through Venmo.

Let's now jump into what's going on in Eagle Mountain.

Do you find these newsletters useful? No obligation, I'll keep writing every issue either way, but I have a Venmo (@eaglemountainvalue) if you'd like to help support the work. Really appreciate it.

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On Tuesday, August 18, the City Council canceled the property tax increase it approved on August 6 and replaced it with a smaller one. Councilmember Melissa Clark proposed the new rate and it passed 4 to 1, with Councilmember Rich Wood voting no.

The new rate is 0.000900, down from 0.001500. On a home worth $488,000, that comes out to about $98 more a year, or $8.19 a month. The city's share of that home's tax bill goes from $143.33 to $241.56. Across the city, the increase brings in about $2,132,876 in new money, down from the roughly $5.6 million the August 6 rate would have raised.

You can run your own numbers on Civic Roll Call's tax calculator.

Thirteen residents filed a referendum application on August 11, asking to put the August 6 increase in front of voters. The Daily Herald reported that Mayor Jared Gray and members of the Council reached out to the sponsors afterward to discuss a compromise. On Tuesday night, more than twenty residents spoke during public comment on the tax and the budget, some against any increase and some in favor of a smaller one.

Councilmember Craig Whiting, who proposed the figure the Council approved on August 6, said the Tyson plant closing changed how he saw the decision.

The lower rate left the budget roughly $4.6 million short. To close the gap, the Council cut $1 million set aside for relocating the rodeo grounds and $2.5 million for buying land for a new city hall, then covered the rest out of savings. That passed 4 to 1, with Councilmember Zachory Huish voting no.

Not everyone on the Council saw the cut as good news. Wood voted against both the cancellation and the new rate because he thought it went too low. He said residents would know the council heard their concerns about raising the rates too high, but that there would be less money for the things the city needs to do. Clark, who proposed the rate, said she was uneasy about using savings to cover staffing.

One of the co-sponsors of the property tax referendum spoke during public comment and said she was proud of the referendum, but also grateful to the mayor for reaching out directly and discussing the tax increase.

If someone knocks on your door about the referendum, here is what you are being asked.

A referendum is a way for residents to take a decision their elected officials already made and put it in front of voters instead.

To start one, a group of sponsors files an application with the city recorder. The city checks whether the decision is something that can legally go to voters. If it clears, the recorder gives the sponsors official packets, and they go out and collect signatures. The Daily Herald reported that this petition would need signatures from at least 8.25% of Eagle Mountain residents to reach the November ballot.

Two things are worth knowing if someone asks you to sign.

Signing is not the same as voting against the tax. It only asks that the question be put on a ballot. Plenty of people sign because they want the vote, not because they have decided how they would cast it.

You can take your signature back. Utah law lets you remove it by sending a written statement to the county clerk. It has to be on paper. Email does not count.

A reader pointed me to a Facebook group where residents are following the effort, if you want to keep track of where it goes.

The Council signed off Tuesday on the agreements behind a 53-acre retail center east of Pony Express Parkway, south of Old Airport Road. The documents name Smith's Food & Drug Centers and require a Smith's Marketplace and fuel center.

The developer now has eight months to begin construction on the roads and infrastructure. That work includes widening Pony Express Parkway, adding a traffic signal, and building out Lake Mountain Corridor and Old Airport Road. The city covers the cost using county grant money, interest from an earlier road bond, and borrowing, then repays the borrowing over time out of new sales tax the shopping center itself brings in. I walked through that arrangement in Monday's issue.

Councilmember Rich Wood voted against two of the four items. He said he does not think the city needs to keep offering developers this kind of financing to bring projects here.

The city's presentation for the project also lists Lowe's Home Improvement as a second anchor and calls the center Eagle's Landing. Lowe's does not appear in any of the signed agreements.

The Utah Department of Workforce Services has had an employment counselor in Eagle Mountain on Wednesday afternoons since June. Starting Tuesday, August 25, that expands to Tuesday through Thursday, 1:00 to 5:00 PM at the Valley Crossroads Business Resource Center, 3688 E Campus Dr, Suite 101. No appointment, no cost. A counselor can help with a resume, practice interview questions, or talk through switching fields.

Two job fairs are coming: the Utah Valley Job Fair on Tuesday, August 25, 2:00 to 5:00 PM at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, and a statewide virtual fair on Thursday, September 10, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Both are free. The Valley Crossroads Chamber is also planning a local job fair with Representative Stephanie Gricius, with no date yet.

If you can help, the Chamber is collecting names of people willing to review a resume or run a practice interview, along with job openings from local employers. Reach out to the Chamber.

Utah County runs several programs that may reduce what you owe. Apply by September 1 to have approved relief show up on your October tax notice.

Applications are on the Utah County Auditor's tax relief page. The state's Publication 36 explains all six relief programs, including options for renters, people who are blind, and active-duty service members.

Most of us turn on the tap, drive to work, and never think about what it takes to get water or build the roads. Eagle Mountain Academy will teach you all about that. It is a free six-week course that walks residents through how the city runs, including tours of the facilities most people never see.

Classes meet Wednesday evenings, 6:30 to 8:30 PM, starting September 16. Space is limited. Apply here.

I recommend attending this academy. I did, and I came away with a real appreciation for the people working behind the scenes to keep this city running.

Wishing you an amazing rest of your week and weekend.

See you around,

— Colten

P.S. Check out this freaking cool photo I took of the moon with my phone.

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