Hello Neighbor! Colten here.

There's a lot to share this week and I'm excited to tell you about it. So let's jump straight into it.

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A beautiful stretch ahead through the long weekend.

⛅ Thu 5/21: 70° / 41° | Partly Cloudy | 4%
⛅ Fri 5/22: 72° / 43° | Partly Cloudy | 0%
🌤️ Sat 5/23: 81° / 52° | Mostly Sunny | 0%
⛅ Sun 5/24: 84° / 54° | Partly Cloudy | 2%
⛅ Mon 5/25: 84° / 56° | Partly Cloudy | 8%

Daytime lane closures are in effect from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM to support roadway improvements for upcoming commercial development at Porters Crossing. Plan accordingly if you travel these roads during the day.

Nightly crack seal work continues through approximately the end of next week.

Construction continues along Pony Express Parkway. Two lanes are maintained throughout. Expect lane shifts and reduced speeds.

I met with city officials Tuesday as promised. Here is what I came away with.

First, an important note: this is still a proposal. The city is waiting on updated data from the county, due early June. More information is expected around the first public hearing on June 16. That is your opportunity to weigh in formally.

The police side of the story

The city has been clear that this proposal is about public safety. Here is what that actually means in practical terms.

Eagle Mountain has 24 patrol deputies covering a city of 77,000 people. On any given shift, only 3 to 4 of those deputies are actually available to respond; the rest are on leave, in training, or handling other assignments. In 2025, the department handled nearly 26,000 calls, an 18.6% increase from the year before. When the new Walmart opened last August, police calls in that area jumped 73% within two quarters. More growth means more demand on the same number of deputies.

The proposed budget increase would add 1 sergeant and 6 deputies. That would move Eagle Mountain from 1 deputy per 2,200 residents to roughly 1 per 1,800. This is still below neighboring cities, but more stable than what exists today. Each new position costs approximately $200,000 per year when you factor in salary, vehicle, equipment, and training.

The part the city hasn't said as clearly

Right now, property taxes only cover about $2.84 million of the current $8.29 million police contract. The remaining $5.45 million comes from other city revenue sources like sales tax. The proposal would restructure the budget so that property taxes cover the full police contract going forward. That frees up $5.45 million that was previously going to police from other sources, which means more money for roads, infrastructure, and other needs that have gone underfunded for years.

So the proposal is really doing two things at once: funding a stronger police force, and freeing up budget room to address things residents have been asking about for a long time. The city confirmed that to me. The full financial picture will come into focus in early to mid June.

What's next

The city hasn't raised property taxes since 2010. The proposed increase would bring the city's property tax rate up 245%, thus increasing how much citizens pay annually in property taxes from $2.84 million to $9.8 million. For an average home valued at $500,000, the estimated increase is about $360 per year. For an average business, the estimated increase is about $4,706 per year -- roughly $392 more every month. Small business tenants should also know that commercial leases are often written so that increases in the landlord's property taxes are passed through to tenants as part of their operating expenses or rent. These are real costs, and residents and business owners deserve to have the full picture before the public hearings.

More details are coming in early June. Public hearings are scheduled for June 16, August 6, and August 18. The city's Truth in Taxation page covers other details.

If you have any concerns, please contact the city directly by using their Public Comment Form.

Smith's, Lowe's, and Road Funding: The council leaned toward the option where the city puts its own sales tax revenue on the line to help guarantee the road funding gets paid for. No vote taken.

Fire Service Funding: The council voted to begin the process of shifting how Eagle Mountain pays for fire service. This does not change who responds to emergencies. The Unified Fire Authority still serves Eagle Mountain.

Wildfire Setback Ordinance — Not Approved: The council voted against the proposed 30-foot buffer requirement for lots on the wildland boundary. The concern was balancing fire safety with homeowners' rights to build on their own land. More work needed before this comes back.

Utility Bill Assistance: The council expressed support for expanding the city's utility assistance program to cover more households and a larger share of utility bills. Not yet formally adopted.

Also from Tuesday: The Deer Run housing concept (Ivory Homes) was sent back for more study over flooding and wildlife corridor concerns. The Scenic Mountain zoning cleanup was postponed. The Flagship Homes fencing agreement for the Harmony neighborhood was approved.

Ben Lyne presented his Show Me A Sign initiative to the City Council on Tuesday. I've had the chance to meet Ben and I sense his genuine desire to uplift our community. He started running with an "I Believe in You" sign a few years ago, and it turned into a large social media following. He has since created a non-profit focused on reminding people that someone believes in them.

The council is enthusiastic about finding a way to support Ben's mission and is thinking carefully about how to do that in a way that is open to everyone in the community. They'll discuss it further at a future meeting.

We could use more of what Ben is doing. If you want to follow along, find him on Instagram at @runnerguywithasign.

Congratulations to the Cedar Valley High School Class of 2026! Graduation is tonight at 7:00 PM at the BYU Marriott Center. If you can't be there in person, a live stream will be available.

Friday, May 22 is the last day of school for Alpine School District students. Schools typically dismiss earlier than usual. Plan your pickup accordingly.

Eagle Mountain's annual Memorial Day Ceremony is Monday at 10:00 AM at the Pony Express Memorial Cemetery, 4648 N Eagle Mountain Blvd. Details here.

Pony Express Days runs May 25 - June 13. If you are planning to attend the carnival, advance tickets are $35 online and $45 at the gate. Buy tickets here. For the full schedule of events, refer back to Monday's issue or the official schedule.

The city is still looking for parade volunteers. If you are interested, email [email protected].

A few new events worth putting on your radar:

The Planning Commission meets Tuesday at 5:30 PM for a Work Session and 6:30 PM for the Policy Session at City Hall (1650 E Stagecoach Run). One action item is on the agenda: a variance request for a small commercial development near Pony Express Parkway.

If you have a kid who loves space, then you should know about the Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove. They offer immersive space mission camps for kids ages 10 and up this summer. Three camp formats are available. It is about a 35-40 minute drive from Eagle Mountain.

My son went to an end-of-school-year party late last week, and got to experience one of the coolest parties I've seen. Bounce House Utah set up a giant inflatable Spider-Man slide and bounce house, and a trailer packed with TVs, gaming consoles, and couches. My son had a great time, and I'm seriously contemplating asking if they allow adults in their bounce houses — asking for a friend, of course.

If you are planning a summer event and want something the kids will actually remember, reach out to Alex Stephens. Find him and his business at bouncehouseutah.com, on Instagram, or on Facebook.

So are you going to Pony Express Days? If so, keep an eye out for a tall skinny guy with glasses, a beard, and long hair. If you happen to see this strange looking fellow in the wild, let him know you read the Valueletter. It would make his day.

See you around,

— Colten

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