Dennis and Michelle Hooper have lived in Woods Cross for more than three decades, and this month they got a jolt: the city's property tax bill is about to jump by an estimated $146 a year as part of a broader 46.86% municipal tax increase. The Hoopers attended the city's Truth in Taxation hearing in early August, where Michelle Hooper said the size of the increase left her stunned. “I was floored,” she said, describing her reaction to the new numbers.
The tax hike is designed to pay for anticipated bonds funding a new City Hall and a redesign of Hogan Park, according to Woods Cross City Administrator Bryce Haderlie, as reported by FOX 13 News Utah. City leaders adopted Resolution 2026-978 on April 7, setting an estimated maximum design-phase budget of $33,569,145.88 for the combined project, contracted with Hogan Construction and Method Studio Architecture, according to the Davis Journal. Woods Cross plans to build a new City Hall while remaining in the current building during construction, then demolish the old structure and convert its site into a parking lot.
Why City Officials Say Retrofitting Costs More Than Building New
The debate traces back to a citizens committee Woods Cross formed in 2023 to study the future of City Hall and possible improvements to Hogan Park. Structural evaluations presented to the city council in June showed that retrofitting the 50-year-old City Hall to meet seismic standards and add piering would cost approximately $18 million, while constructing a new 25,000-square-foot building is estimated at $13 million to $14 million, per Citizen Portal.
City leaders argue the current facilities are severely inadequate, lacking seismic stability and fire suppression. Woods Cross police officers reportedly work in rooms used to bag evidence, and the department's evidence storage is at capacity, with insufficient office space overall. Haderlie said the department's current conditions amount to an unhealthy environment, adding that the city wants facilities that support future growth, staff, and community events. Dennis Hooper, who backed the couple's support for expanding police facilities, questioned whether a new City Hall is really the right solution, suggesting police expansion could instead be handled within the current building.
Residents Pushed for Phased Construction, City Said No
Some Woods Cross residents suggested phasing the projects to spread the costs over time. During the August 4 public hearing, Haderlie rejected that idea, stating that issuing two separate bonds would significantly increase taxpayer expenses due to duplicated bond issuance fees, the Davis Journal reported. City officials have maintained that inflationary costs will continue to climb if Woods Cross delays the projects, and that waiting could add millions to the eventual price tag.
To soften the blow before turning to property taxes, city leaders decided to sell surplus municipal properties — including the former public works facility and old post office building — to generate an estimated $3 million in capital revenue, according to the Davis Journal's earlier reporting. Officials say the goal is a City Hall and park usable for 50 years without additional remodels or additions.
What the Tax Increase Means for Homeowners and Businesses
Under the city's adopted property tax impact schedule, the municipal tax rate rises from 0.001392 to 0.002079, pushing annual ad valorem property tax collections from $2,140,630 to $3,134,879 — a net increase of $994,249, according to a filing with Utah's Public Notice Website. That means Woods Cross is expected to collect just over $995,000 in additional annual property tax revenue once the increase takes effect.
For a primary residence valued at $543,000, the city portion of the tax bill increases by $181.58 annually, from $387.65 to $569.23, according to official Truth-in-Taxation hearing notices published in July. A commercial property at the same valuation sees an annual increase of $330.15, climbing from $704.81 to $1,034.96. A separate June comparison found a $551,000 home in Woods Cross already paid $664 in combined local taxes before the rate hike — $54 more than the Davis County average of $610, and higher than neighboring Bountiful, North Salt Lake, and West Bountiful, per the Bountiful/Farmington Record. Michelle Hooper said she expects another property tax increase to follow in 2027.
Hogan Park Redesign Draws Its Own Objections
Beyond the tax rate itself, Woods Cross residents have pushed back on the project's scope. Plans call for reconstructing Hogan Park south of City Hall, and new construction is expected to remove most of the park's existing amenities. During public hearings in June and August, opposing residents argued against removing mature shade trees and existing amenities during a period of high inflation, the Davis Journal reported.
Woods Cross voters approved a 0.1% local Recreation, Arts, and Parks sales tax in November 2025, and municipal leaders plan to lean on that revenue alongside property taxes to help cover bond payments for qualifying Hogan Park improvements, according to Moving Utah. Many Woods Cross residents still consider the overall increase too steep and difficult for homeowners to absorb, even with that additional funding stream.
Part of a Broader Statewide Pattern
Woods Cross is not alone in testing residents' patience this year. An August report by the Utah Taxpayers Association found that 67 municipal, county, and special taxing districts across the state sought a combined $93.58 million in property tax increases for fiscal year 2026–27 through Utah's Truth-in-Taxation process, as Hoodline has previously reported. For the Hoopers and other longtime Woods Cross homeowners, the local increase lands as one more line item in a statewide squeeze on fixed incomes, even as city officials insist the new City Hall and Hogan Park will serve the community for decades to come.
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