Sandy homeowners with a $770,000 property would pay an extra $72.42 a year in Canyons School District taxes under a proposal the district formally published July 20.
The official Notice of Proposed Tax Increase puts the annual bill for a $770,000 home at $1,326.83, up from $1,254.41. The June 16 board meeting summary, however, listed the CSD-specific certified tax rate portion of the increase at $27 per year for the average $770,000 home. The district has not publicly explained the difference between the two figures.
If adopted, the higher rate would bring the district an additional $6.87 million in property tax revenue per year, a 5.51% increase above last year's budgeted revenue excluding new growth.
The Board of Education tentatively approved the rate adjustment at its June 16 meeting. Business Administrator Leon Wilcox told board members the money would fund three priorities: a cost-of-living raise for employees to offset inflation, two additional teachers at the Canyons Innovation Center scheduled to open in August 2027 according to the district's website, and payments on construction bond debt. As that debt retires, the board summary states, funds would be redirected toward elementary school building repairs without adding new long-term borrowing.
Wilcox framed the employee raise as part of a pattern. "Starting annual pay for licensed personnel in Canyons has increased from $50,000 in 2019-2020 to $65,825 for the coming school year," he said at the June 16 meeting. Eighty-nine percent of the tentative 2026-2027 budget goes to salaries and benefits, Wilcox said.
The public summary does not record individual votes on the tentative rate adjustment. Board President Amber Shill, Karen Pedersen, Katie Dahle, Amanda Oaks, and Jackson Lewis all gave reports at the meeting.
How to weigh in
The final vote happens at a Truth-in-Taxation public hearing on August 4 at 6 p.m. in the Canyons School District Administration Offices Board Room, 9361 S. 300 East, Sandy. Residents can comment in person, by letter, or via video and audio. Virtual participation instructions will be posted at canyonsdistrict.org no later than 24 hours before the hearing. The district can also be reached at 801-826-5040.
