Public Safety Fee

On June 17, the City Council held a public hearing on Ordinance 2019-12, establishing a monthly public safety fee to support increased policing services within the City of Sandy. The fee supports the hiring of additional police officers in the City of Sandy to increase police protection, crime prevention, and traffic enforcement. The fee will first be seen on your September utility bill.

In 2019, the City Council held several meetings (February 4, March 4, April 9, May 20, June 17, and July 15 - Staff Reports are available in the Supporting Documents below) to study the police department's budget shortfall, the level of funding for police services, and different options for generating additional revenue. During the City’s biannual budget review and approval process (held on April 29 and May 6), the Council ultimately agreed with the Budget Committee’s recommendation to find a new revenue source to increase funding for the Police Department instead of cutting other city services. The Council determined the best and most equitable way to generate that revenue is through a public safety fee that will be added to residents' utility bills. The fee will immediately support the hiring of a new patrol officer as well as a police lieutenant position that will allow for more essential public safety services such as traffic enforcement and incident response.

What is the fee?
The per dwelling unit fee is set by the City Council, and is $4.50 per month for single family households and multi-family property owners. The per unit fee of $10.50 will be charged to businesses. The fee is added as a separate line item on monthly utility bills. 

How much revenue will be generated?
The fee is expected to generate approximately $520,000 in biennium 2019 - 2021.

What does the fee pay for?
100% of the revenue generated is dedicated to the Sandy Police Department.

Who pays the fee?
All City of Sandy utility customers will pay the fee. The benefit and the burden is shared by the entire city.

Why is the fee on my utility bill?
The city is able to reduce costs for processing and printing invoices by using the established utility billing software, instead of producing a separate bill.

Can property owners/managers pass on the fee to tenants?
This is determined by the lease or rental agreement between landlord and tenant.

Other questions related to the Public Safety Fee can be directed toward the City Manager or Finance Director at (503) 668-5533.