Park City council to hold FY27 budget hearing, consider no-tax-increase plan

Park City residents got a close look at next year’s budget choices Thursday night as the council opened a public hearing on the fiscal year 2027 plan in Council Chambers at Park City City Hall, 445 Marsac Avenue. The hearing was set against a proposed budget that would not raise the property tax rate, but would still touch daily life through fees, elected-official pay and the city’s next round of service pricing.

The budget calendar itself framed the stakes. Park City runs on a July 1 to June 30 fiscal year, begins budget hearings in May, continues them through June and must adopt a balanced budget by June 30. Council members also considered whether to continue the hearing to June 25, giving residents another chance to weigh in before final adoption.

One of the most visible items on the agenda was a resolution to adjust fees across planning, recreation, parking and other city services. Even modest changes there can ripple into the cost of permits, the use of public facilities and the price of everyday transactions with city government. The council also considered appointments to the Planning Commission and the Public Art Advisory Board, bodies that shape how Park City grows and how its public spaces look and feel.

The Public Art Advisory Board carries particular weight in a city where development pressure and community character often collide. It is an eight-member board that makes recommendations to City Council on public art planning and expenditures. The board was formed in 2003, its policies were updated in October 2024 and code amendments followed in March 2025.

The most politically sensitive item remained council compensation. Park City’s current compensation page lists the mayor’s wage at $55,208.67 a year, plus $27,276 in health benefits and a $3,000 car allowance. Council members are listed at $28,519.57 a year, plus $27,276 in health benefits. Staff had said the package had not seen a significant increase since fiscal year 2015, but the proposed FY27 changes would lift the mayor’s wage to almost $117,000 and council members’ wages to more than $58,000.

That debate has already stirred backlash. The council’s May vote to double elected-official salaries passed 4-1, with Bill Ciraco dissenting, and the issue was being revisited after residents pushed back. Park City’s meeting page says comments can be made in person, on Zoom or in writing, and written comments become part of the public record. With fees, pay and planning appointments all on the table, the budget hearing showed how the city’s next spending plan will shape both the tax bill and the public face of Park City.