NORTH LOGAN – Despite overwhelming public opposition at their Truth-in-Taxation hearing, the members of the Board of Education of the Cache County School District voted unanimously to approve a 37.1 percent property tax increase on Aug. 7.
Board members said they were reluctantly approving the tax hike that is expected to result in more than $8.6 million in new revenue to meet the rising costs of district needs and to qualify for an additional $6 million in equalization funds from the state.
According to documents released by the county school district, the proposed hike would increase property taxes on an average home with a market value of $548,000 by about $210 per year, up from $566.33 to $776.71.
Local businesses with the similar property values would see an increase of $382.51 per year, from $1,029 to $1,412.20.
The school board’s adoption of the 37.1 percent tax hike for next year came after state officials denied a proposed property tax increase in September of 2025 due to the district’s failure to follow the state’s revised Truth-in Taxation noticing and transparency requirements.
The state-mandated TNT hearing was held before a packed house of county residents in the district Professional Development Center in North Logan. Nearly 40 members of the audience queued up to speak, with those opposing the tax increase outnumbering those in favor of it by a nearly three-to-one margin.
Many of the opposing speakers were older residents living on fixed incomes, who complained that the proposed 37.1 percent property tax increase was unsustainable. Others questioned whether the district had made good faith efforts at belt-tightening, pointing to bloated budgets for athletics and travel.
Several speakers focused on compensation for District Superintendent Todd McKee. The district head is reportedly in line to receive a nearly 11 percent boost in compensation, with a final salary of $226,000 per year plus benefits. School-level administrators salaries are also expect to jump by 11.6 percent, compared to a 4 percent raise for teachers and other staff.
The majority of those who spoke in favor of the tax increase were employees of the school district. They defended McKee, saying that his salary was appropriate for a chief executive officer of a district with 3,500 employees, 25 buildings (soon to be 28 with the completion of three new schools) and about 20,000 students.
Before the vote, several board members spoke in an effort to justify the 37.1 percent tax increase.
Board member Brian Chambers spoke at length, acknowledging that the district hadn’t done enough budget tightening in the past. He agreed that some of the district’s educational programs aren’t efficient, that some employees are overpaid and that “spare-no-expense” athletic programs need to be trimmed, along with the district’s out-of-control healthcare costs.
While admitting that the district may not have been the best stewards of public tax dollars in the past, Board Chair Teri Rhodes pledged that the board of education fully intends to do better in the future.