City continues reviews of FY 2026 budget requests

Eagle Mountain City continues its reviews of its proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

 City Council members have been holding a series of budget work sessions to break down different aspects of the budget before finalizing decisions in June of this year. The most recent budget work session focused on new personnel requests and one-time expense proposals.

According to Finance Director Kimberly Ruesch, no final decisions have been made, and discussions remain ongoing.

“As a growing city, there are a number of requests that have come forward to help the organization meet increasing service demands,” says Ruesch. “One of the challenges we’re working hard to resolve is that the demand for City services is outpacing revenue growth.”

The latest personnel requests include 31 new positions across multiple departments, as well as four additional position requests from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, which provides law enforcement services to the community.

If approved, new staff may include positions to support City parks, recreation, open space, Forestry, Community Development, Finance and Public Works.

The personnel requests are framed around service enhancements, innovation and improving resident experiences, but they are also designed with fiscal conservatism in mind. The City is emphasizing employee training and identifying cost-saving opportunities to maximize efficiency.

“Being mindful of our services that directly impact residents is a City priority,” said Ruesch. “Our decisions are targeted at maintaining and enhancing that quality of life through the City’s services.”

With current revenue structures, per capita spending has remained the same for Eagle Mountain City.

“Strategically, we’re looking for opportunities such as economic development and public-private partnerships to enhance our service levels, not just maintain them,” says Ruesch.

In addition to personnel requests, the work session addressed one-time expense proposals.

While no decisions have been finalized, many of the proposed projects are tied to quality-of-life improvements, such as permanent Wi-Fi access in Cory Wride Memorial Park, a paved trail from Eagle Point Townhomes to provide safe school access, and traffic cameras at key intersections to monitor weather-related events.

“Even the cost proposals for organizational efficiency are designed to improve service levels for our residents,” Reusch said.

Eagle Mountain’s budget work sessions are designed to help City Council and staff better understand the full scope of the upcoming fiscal year’s budget, breaking down major components into more manageable discussions.

The next budget work session on Tuesday, April 15 at 1 p.m. will focus on the City’s 5-year Capital Improvement Plan, which includes key infrastructure projects such as roads, wastewater management, water systems and park facilities.

City Council members will continue their budget discussions at their next policy session on Tuesday, March 18 to continue from this week’s budget work session.

Residents are encouraged to participate in the process by attending City Council meetings, contacting their elected officials, or reaching out to the Finance department for more information.

Those interested in learning more about the City’s finances can visit the City’s ‘What’s Happening’ page to see the current year’s budget.