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2026-05-14 - City Council Work Session

Summary

Built from the official minutes of the work session (approved August 18, 2026). The minutes are not a full transcript. Meeting materials are posted at data.slc.gov.

  • Work session called to order at 3:05 p.m. Present: Petro, Puy (Chair), Wharton, Carlsen, Dugan and Young. Jennifer Bruno and Lehua Weaver represented Council staff; Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Rachel Otto and Megan Yuill represented the Administration. No votes were taken.
  • Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget briefings: Council Staff overview, Police Department, Community and Neighborhoods Department and Arts Council Division (see Fiscal Year 2026-27 Department Budget Briefings and Fiscal Year 2026-27 City Budget).
  • Council Staff overview: Bruno covered the proposed property tax increase, departmental reductions of roughly 5 percent, long-term sustainability of cuts, proposed uses of the increase (fire, youth and family programming, Justice Court, legal services, Capital Improvement Program projects), utility fee increases, voter-approved bonds and possible impact fee updates (Fiscal Year 2026-27 Property Tax Increase).
  • Police: proposed 5 percent increase and added staffing; Chief Brian Redd cited reduced crime and response times, drones and the Real Time Crime Center. The Department has no contracts with Flock Safety. Wharton asked for a meeting on coordination with the University of Utah and Greek Row operations.
  • Community and Neighborhoods: Youth and Family programming would prioritize K-6 and teen afterschool and summer programs; the Hive Pass reduced-fee transit pass would be eliminated; Fix the Bricks would continue at a reduced, grant-funded level. Council Members Dugan, Carlsen and Puy made data requests.
  • Arts Council Division: proposed 5.8 percent budget reduction; Twilight Concert Series structure and funding discussed.
  • Informational update on THE BLOCKS (formerly the Cultural Core initiative), year nine and the year-ten budget plan (THE BLOCKS Annual Update).
  • Executive Director report: Lehua Weaver outlined the District 4 vacancy process; Members were asked to send edits to the vacancy application questions by the next day (District Four Council Vacancy Appointment).
  • Not held: Property Tax Impact Schedule discussion, Chair and Vice Chair report, closed meeting. Adjourned 6:42 p.m.

Fiscal Year 2026-27 Council Staff overview

Jennifer Bruno gave the legislative-branch view of the Mayor's recommended budget: the Council's role, the proposed property tax increase, department reductions and efficiencies, affordable housing investments and proposed Capital Improvement Program priorities. Discussion covered Truth in Taxation requirements and how residents can identify City-related increases on tax bills, a request that departments identify about 5 percent in cuts, concern about the long-term effect of cuts (earlier cuts hurt road maintenance and public lands services), reducing reliance on sales tax, vacancy savings, and the added burden of utility fee increases and voter-approved bonds. See Fiscal Year 2026-27 Property Tax Increase and Fiscal Year 2026-27 City Budget.

Police Department budget

Michael Sanders introduced the proposed increase of 5 percent and additional staffing requests. Chief Brian Redd presented accomplishments, falling crime and response times, efficiencies, and investments in community engagement, traffic safety, drones and the Real Time Crime Center. Discussion covered School Resource Officer reimbursement from the School District, University of Utah event staffing reimbursements, Utah Inland Port tax increment reimbursements for added staff near the Westside/Pioneer Precinct, alternate response and civilian response models, resident speeding concerns, artificial intelligence, data retention and civil liberties (with clarification that the Department has no Flock Safety contracts), data-driven deployment, Jordan River Trail green space bike squads and possible foot patrol expansion, inflation in uniforms, equipment and technology, and recruiting and retention including labor agreement cost drivers. Council request: Wharton asked for a meeting on coordination and efficiency with the University of Utah and Greek Row; Redd said staff would arrange it. Details: Fiscal Year 2026-27 Department Budget Briefings.

Community and Neighborhoods Department budget

Allison Rowland introduced. Tammy Hunsaker, with Mike Akerlow and Brent Beck, presented accomplishments, efficiencies, transportation and housing initiatives, and proposed reductions and funding requests. Discussion: Youth and Family impacts, elimination of the Hive Pass while keeping low-income and student pass programs, process and technology improvements in permitting and development review, avoiding the public outcry that followed County-led childcare cuts, and Fix the Bricks continuing at a reduced level through income-qualified grant funding. Requests: Dugan asked for Youth and Family participation, waitlist and demographic metrics, and for alternative transit pass resources (Hunsaker proposed a transit resources webpage); Carlsen asked for on-demand transit ridership and trip metrics; Puy asked for follow-up on electric vehicle charging station costs and possible cuts, vacating an EV site on North Temple, and maintenance and disposition strategies for City-owned properties. Details: Fiscal Year 2026-27 Department Budget Briefings.

Arts Council Division budget

Sylvia Richards reviewed the proposed 5.8 percent reduction. Felica Baca and Laurel Cannon Alder described the Arts Council as a hybrid governmental nonprofit, recent accomplishments, funding sources, the mural program (Salt Lake City exceeds peer cities in mural installations), capital art projects and private-public partnerships. Members discussed program impacts, fundraising, and the Twilight Concert Series (operational changes, private vendors, City contributions and downtown economic effects). Details: Fiscal Year 2026-27 Department Budget Briefings.

THE BLOCKS update

Sylvia Richards introduced the annual update required by the interlocal agreement between the City and Salt Lake County. Lucas Horns and Dee Brewer presented year nine results and plans for 2026. Details: THE BLOCKS Annual Update.

District 4 vacancy

Lehua Weaver reviewed the timeline, legal requirements, public notice, conflict of interest disclosures, interview procedures, voting process and outreach for appointing a District 4 replacement. Details: District Four Council Vacancy Appointment.

Sources

  • Minutes (approved August 18, 2026): https://slc.primegov.com/Public/CompiledDocument/44799
  • Data quality: the minutes spell the Arts Division director's first name both "Felica" and "Felicia", and the THE BLOCKS program manager's surname once as "Lucus Horns" and otherwise "Lucas Horns"; this record uses Felica Baca and Lucas Horns.