Millcreek drivers fed up with dodging craters may soon help pay to fix them. City leaders are considering a monthly transportation utility fee to repair a battered network of streets, and residents are being asked to weigh in at an open house on Monday. If approved, the charge would be billed monthly to all property owners, including residents, businesses, and tax-exempt institutions, and would likely show up on utility bills later this year. The idea lands as complaints about potholes and crumbling pavement keep stacking up across Millcreek neighborhoods.
What officials are proposing
City staff has put forward a Transportation Utility Fee (TUF) study that lays out a monthly charge for every property owner, calculated using land-use categories and trip-generation data. The money would be earmarked for pavement preservation and other street projects so the city can shift from patching problems after they appear to maintaining roads before they fail. The plan and the technical presentations are summarized on Millcreek.
Why city leaders say it's needed
Mayor Cheri Jackson told KSL that Millcreek "inherited a big problem" when it incorporated in late 2016 and took responsibility for about 179 miles of aging pavement. Jackson said road complaints account for roughly 80% of issues residents report. City officials also blame shrinking gas-tax revenue and the rise of fuel-efficient and electric vehicles for the funding gap. They argue that a dedicated fee would provide a dependable revenue stream to keep streets in decent shape before surface problems escalate into full-blown reconstructions.
How much could it cost you?
According to the preliminary rate analysis, residential accounts could pay roughly $8 to $13 per month. Commercial and public properties would be charged on a tiered scale tied to trip generation. Officials stress that these numbers are estimates for discussion, not final figures, and that the city council would set any official rates after public input and legal review. The full rate examples and methodology are detailed by Millcreek.
Legal questions loom
Transportation utility fees have already had their day in court in Utah. In 2023, the state Supreme Court's ruling in Larson v. Pleasant Grove City held that a TUF can qualify as a valid service fee rather than an unlawful tax, but the justices sent parts of the case back to review whether the fee was reasonable. That decision provides the legal boundaries Millcreek's study examines as the city tries to craft a defensible, lawful fee. For background, see the court opinion on Justia.
What happens next
The public open house is set for Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Millcreek City Hall, 1330 East Chambers Avenue. Staff will display informational boards, walk residents through the rate options, and field questions. Council members say they will continue taking public comment, weigh alternatives such as a bond or continued reliance on the gas-tax supplement, and target a decision after legal and financial reviews wrap up this spring.
