Mayor Mendenhall delivers Fiscal Year 2026 budget for Salt Lake City

May 6, 2025

Mayor Erin Mendenhall's Fiscal Year 2026 recommended budget, presented to the Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday, focused on taking care of residents and keeping them safe amid economic uncertainty.

The $512,471,524 million general fund budget addresses public safety, affordable housing, infrastructure and inflation, with no major tax increases and no property tax increase.

"I want to reiterate an important message relevant to not only our budget but everything we do for our residents," said Mayor Mendenhall. "Salt Lake City is here for you. Everything highlighted in our budget is about keeping Salt Lake City dependable. Even as fear and instability ripple across the nation, we are steady."

Mayor Mendenhall remains committed to the execution of the 2025 Salt Lake City Public Safety Plan, developed earlier this year. The budget proposal directly supports the completion of seven more Public Safety Plan actions, with $3.9 million in funding. This includes over $500,000 to add overnight security at eight city parks and the Jordan River Trail, as well as $500,000 for officers to use state-of-the-art, data-driven technology to improve efficiency and community safety.

It also creates a new City Clean Team, a dedicated crew to address conditions that can lead to crime, like graffiti, abandoned property, trash, poor lighting, and neglected public spaces.

Budget highlights include:

• A $5 million investment for deeply affordable housing in Salt Lake City
• The dedication of $2.7 million to westside investments, such as repairs to the Rose Park Lane Trail and continued funding for UTA On-Demand services
• Implementation of the first phase of the Green Loop, with $3 million in capital improvement funds to transform the block outside City Hall into the Civic Center
• $2.3 million for Vision Zero safety improvements to Redwood Road, 900 West, and 800 South, which have significantly higher crash rates than most other city streets
• Prepare Fisher Mansion for a Request For Proposals process and find tenants for year-round activation that benefits the community
• Create more electric vehicle charging stations to meet the City's fleet demands with $1 million in capital improvement funds
• Increase annual ongoing street maintenance with an additional $300,000
• Implement a small waste and recycling rate change, equivalent to about a $3 increase per month for most residential bins
• 4% cost-of-living salary adjustment for all Salt Lake City employees to stay competitive in the face of rising costs for households
• Signed a MOU with our local police union in April to solidify terms before the expiration of their contract this summer

You can read a transcript of the Mayor's speech on the city website.