The Wasatch County School district’s board of education voted to raise taxes in an Aug. 22 meeting, less than a week after the topic was hotly debated during an Aug. 16 public hearing.

The change will hold WCSD taxpayers to last year’s tax rates despite any property value increases, resulting in the school district receiving $14 million more.

As previously reported, the district plans to use $7.7 million of its additional funding to pay for utilities and pay teachers while the other $6.3 million is set to go into the district’s capital fund.

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A video released by the school district explaining the process of raising the taxes the school will collect specified that while Utah law insures “a school district is allowed to collect the same amount in taxes that it collected in the previous year, along with any taxes on new growth,” the state code also allows school districts to “hold the tax rate steady to generate additional income to meet the district’s needs,” through the process that necessitates a public hearing and board vote.

During the hearing, Cindy Cossairt of Heber City offered her observation that “the education system is turning into socialism” because “you’re asking neighbors to pay for neighbors’ children.”

The video also explains that when compared to 2020, the district’s 2023 expenses have increased by 33.1%.

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Though there wasn’t much discussion immediately surrounding the board’s Aug. 22 vote, Wasatch County residents flooded the Aug. 16 hearing both to commend and condemn the board in a meeting that stretched for two hours.

During the hearing, Cindy Cossairt of Heber City offered her observation that “the education system is turning into socialism” because “you’re asking neighbors to pay for neighbors’ children.”

“I think you should really need to look at parents paying for things that are required for their children,” she said. “Maybe they won’t have so many children in the future if they knew they’d had to pay for those things instead of making their neighbors pay for those niceties.”

Several teachers shared very different takes on the matter.

Matt Sproul, who teaches at Wasatch County High School, thanked the board for paying teachers a competitive salary. The district had listed this as one of the reasons for the tax increase.

Others urged the school district to spend more carefully.

“I do appreciate the school board, but I think we need to be careful,” said a man who identified himself as a contractor. “When I walk into all these new high schools, I’m just astounded that we’re building monuments for high school.”

The cost of the materials used, he said, “is outrageous.”

If taxes continue to rise, he added, individuals who call Wasatch County home today will not be able to afford to down the road.

By the end of the meeting, more than 30 individuals had addressed the board members, who voted to postpone their decision.

When it was passed days later, it did so through a 4-1 vote, with Board Member Marianne Allen being the lone opponent.