February 2026 Budget Proposals

There is an upcoming city council budget planning meeting, and this year I am proposing 4 budget items. Every year, our directors assess their department needs, work with our city manager and finance director on proposing a budget that includes those needs, and then present it to the city council in multiple budget planning meetings. In addition to all the proposals our city staff will be presenting, I am going to be presenting some things. It's incredibly important to me that I take some time to go over exactly what I am proposing and give the public the opportunity to give me any feedback, whether positive or negative. 

Today, I'll be walking you through four specific investments designed to strengthen our city's infrastructure, livability, recreation, and communication.

I am looking at a $250,000 Asphalt Trails fund, a Skate Park addition, a $20,000 Annual Tree Fund, and a restructuring of our Digital Communications.

A trail fund, tree fund, and skate park addition can all be funded from existing sources of funding, which would not increase our general budget expenses. Essentially, for those three proposals we already have dedicated and restricted funds, it’s just a matter of directing those funds towards priorities such as these 3 proposals. The last proposal of improving our digital communications would redirect existing funding, but also ask for an additional small amount of money to level up our communication with residents.

My first proposal is a $250,000 Urban Trail Fund. When I mention urban trails, I’m talking about the asphalt trails around town.

When we look at how to get the most value out of our amenities, trail infrastructure outperforms any other amenity investment because it serves 100% of our residents.

Unlike a playground or a sports court that have age or skill caps, an asphalt trail has no cap and is used by everyone from ages 0 to 90-plus—whether you're pushing a stroller or using a wheelchair. This is what we would call a cradle to grave product, as it benefits everyone in all demographics.

Right now, we mandate sidewalks and urban trails in many new developments, but they often don't connect.

This $250,000 fund will help us connect those "orphan trails" into a legitimate transportation network.

Every dollar spent on trails increases the utilization of every amenity we already own.

Fiscally, this makes a lot of sense. Asphalt trails act as transportation infrastructure, which means they unlock state and federal matching grants—like UDOT Active Transportation and Safe Routes to School funds—that a purely recreational park will never qualify for.

They also have the lowest lifetime cost, lasting 20 or more years with a simple seal coat our own city crews can handle every five years.

Investing in our urban trails is the best return on investment when using our park impact fees, as they have a low cost to maintain and benefit the most people. Urban trails are usable 24/7/365 by everyone.

Next is a proposal that physically changes how our city feels: a $20,000 Annual Tree Fund.

This fund will allow us to plant 60 to 130 trees every year in city-controlled public spaces.

With trees, time is our biggest cost. They take 20 to 40 years to mature.

Every single year we wait is canopy growth we can never recover.

While private lots already require trees, the gap is in our park strips, trail corridors, and city parks—the public spaces everyone sees every day.

We all know Santaquin gets hot—without shade, our outdoor spaces are essentially unlivable for four months out of the year.

A single mature canopy tree can drop the ambient temperature underneath it by up to 10 degrees.

Planting these trees now is the cheapest possible way to ensure the neighborhoods we are building today feel like a true community , and property values confirm this, as homes near mature trees consistently sell for 3 to 10% more.

My third proposal is adding a youth-focused Skate Park at the Harvest View Sports Complex.

Skateboarding participation has jumped 34% since 2019, with 8.9 million U.S. skateboarders, and a skate park fills a major gap in Santaquin's recreation offerings.

More importantly, 40% of teens report persistent sadness or hopelessness.

Research suggests teens without community gathering spaces face a significantly higher risk of low self-esteem, and skate parks provide free, unstructured community space that helps combat this.

By placing it at Harvest View, we leverage the existing parking lot, restrooms, and security cameras we already have, plus there are plenty of eyes on the park from staff, pickleball players, and neighbors.

The design emphasizes youth skating with smaller features, avoiding large bowls that only attract advanced skaters.

The estimated total project cost is $570,000.

However, by utilizing $285,000 in Park Impact Fees and applying for a $285,000 State Outdoor Recreation Grant, the net cost to the city drops to $285,000.

Finally, all these city services don't matter if you aren't able to easily find out about them. We need to upgrade our Digital Communications.

I appreciate the feedback recently with the data center development, that our city can communicate with residents a lot better.

There’s a lot of room for improvement and improving communication has always been a top priority for me.

I am proposing we redirect our current vendor budget of roughly $17,000 and add about $18,000 a year to hire a part-time, in-house Digital Content and Communications Specialist.

Most residents consume city info on their phones, but our current communications are not optimized for mobile viewing.

We currently have broken links on our website, and we don't own our Google Maps pins, so residents often see old or inaccurate information.

Bringing this role in-house ensures that city news from Public Works, Public Safety, Community Services, and all our city departments reaches you in a coordinated, professional, and mobile first way.