A petition for an August 2027 tax vote, $11.3 million for Ranches Parkway, and a ghost hunt at Camp Floyd

Hey, Eagle Mountain. Colten here.

I can’t believe it’s almost October. And for those of you out there already putting up Halloween decorations: You now have to have candy at your door ready for me and my kids when I come by early for trick or treating. The Halloween fever is affecting my children, but I must unfortunately tell them that Halloween is still over one month away. And I don’t have an antidote to give them to cure them of this fever… And no. More cowbell is not the solution. 😉

AT CITY HALLCopy a link to this section#

The City Council holds a projects planning session Tuesday, September 29 at 3:00 p.m. at City Hall. It will not be live streamed, and the city says an audio recording will be posted within three days. No agenda had been posted as of Sunday, September 27. I will be there and will report on what the Council discusses.

Since there is no agenda to preview for Tuesday, here are the other City Hall items you should know about this week.

Residents are asking for an August 10, 2027 vote on the property tax increaseCopy a link to this section#

A group of Eagle Mountain residents wants you to have the final say on the property tax increase the City Council passed on August 18. Their petition asks for a special election on August 10, 2027, where voters would decide whether to keep the increase or repeal it. That election only happens if enough voters sign the petition and the county clerk verifies the signatures, and nothing the city has published says yet whether that has happened.

For an average Eagle Mountain home, assessed at $488,000, the city estimates the increase adds $8.28 a month, or $99.31 a year, to your property tax, starting with the November 2026 tax bills. The city says the money goes toward its law enforcement contract with the Utah County Sheriff's Office. The increase raises $2,132,876 more a year for the city, 69.81% more than last year's city property tax, not counting taxes from newly built homes and businesses.

The Council passed the increase 4 to 1. Councilmember Rich Wood voted no.

If voters repeal it, the city says your city property tax stays at the same dollar amount you paid in 2025. The city would still owe the Sheriff's Office that $2,132,876. It says it would pay it from sales tax, then cut city services, dip into its savings, or both.

You may have seen an email from the city on September 24 titled "Notice of Referendum for Eagle Mountain City." It carried the information pamphlet for this petition, which has space for an argument from each side. Only the city's side is in it. The petitioners' space reads "[not timely submitted]," which I believe means the petitioners did not submit their side of the argument in time. In the city's argument, Mayor Jared Gray said the increase pays for a sergeant and more deputies, and that residents called for help 25,698 times last year, up 18.6%.

Nothing the city has published says yet whether the petition has enough signatures, or how the question would be worded on a ballot.

The petitioners are organizing signature gathering through a Facebook group, Eagle Mountain City Tax Referendum Supporters & Volunteers. The group is private and I have not joined it, so I can't see what they've posted there. If you signed the petition and change your mind, the city's page explains how to remove your signature. You can also read the pamphlet, the petition and the resolution yourself in the Referendum Information section of the city's homepage.

Ranches Parkway is getting $11.3 million in county road moneyCopy a link to this section#

Ranches Parkway, from Cory B. Wride Highway to Pony Express Parkway, is one of 15 road projects around Utah County picked for county transportation money. The county plans to spend the money in 2029. Utah County is paying about $10.5 million of the $11.3 million from a county sales tax for transportation, and Eagle Mountain is adding about $764,000. A regional transportation board picked the projects in August, and the Utah County Commission approved the list in September. County Commissioner Skyler Beltran told the Daily Herald there was only enough money for about half of the projects cities asked for. The list does not say what the work on Ranches Parkway will be. If you noticed Pony Express Parkway on the Daily Herald's full list, those two projects are in Saratoga Springs and American Fork, not Eagle Mountain.

SR 73 traffic work is planned for 2029 to 2030Copy a link to this section#

The city answered a question residents have been asking on its Rumor Stop page: will nothing be done about traffic on SR 73 and Mountain View Corridor until 2030? SR 73 is Cory B. Wride Highway, the road that runs along the north side of Eagle Mountain. The city said work to improve traffic there is planned for 2029 to 2030, and that it is working with the Utah Department of Transportation "to try to advance this construction as we understand the congestion that is present there." The answer does not say what the work is or which stretch it covers.

UPDATING THE EAGLE MOUNTAIN VALUE WEBSITECopy a link to this section#

I'm revamping the Eagle Mountain Value website so it's more than a place to store my newsletters. I've researched a lot since I started writing these, and I want all of it in one place where you can use it, not just when it shows up in an email. That's why I started working on a new website.

Here's what I need from you:

1. Visit the new website HERE and give me your feedback.

2. What do you like?

3. What's missing?

The website isn't finished yet, so some links might not work. If you find something seriously broken, I'd like to know about that too, if you have the time.

And just as a quick FYI: the website URL is temporary during the building phase. Once the new site is done and ready to go live, eaglemountainvalue.com will still be where my website lives.

Just reply to this email to let me know what you think, ideally by Monday, October 5.

Thank you! I really hope I can build a website that helps Eagle Mountain residents beyond the newsletter.

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: Autumn Ridge KidsCopy a link to this section#

A closer look at Autumn Ridge KidsCopy a link to this section#

Autumn Ridge Kids is opening in Eagle Mountain in November with Preschool and Pre-K for ages 3–5, along with before- and after-school care for school-age kids.

For the younger kids, preschool is very hands-on. They might practice letter sounds during a story, count seeds before planting them in the garden, measure ingredients while helping make something in the kitchen, sort leaves or rocks they found outside, build patterns with blocks, paint, cut, draw, work with clay, or investigate something they discovered in nature. The academic skills are there, but they're woven into things children are actually doing. The preschool has its own teacher, with a focus on helping kids become confident, capable and ready for kindergarten.

For school-age kids, the afternoon starts with getting them from school to Autumn Ridge Kids. Black Ridge students are met after school and walk back along the neighborhood trail, and American Prep students can be picked up from the nearby bus stop. Once they arrive, there's a good snack and time to unwind, followed by homework help if they need it and then time for outdoor play, games, art, building, reading and other activities. Because the group is small, there's room to follow what the kids are interested in instead of making every afternoon exactly the same. Parents can pick up anytime through 6:30 p.m.

For parents, one of the biggest reliefs is simply knowing the gap between the school day and the workday is covered. They don't have to figure out who can pick their child up while they're still at work, what they'll eat afterward, or how to squeeze homework into the end of an already long day. By pickup, their child has had a good snack, time to unwind, a chance to get homework started, and an afternoon they actually got to enjoy.

Preschool, before-school care, after-school pickup, school-out days and summer care are built around the hours families actually need.

Tours will begin after October 15. Families can learn more at autumnridgekids.com, or call or text Autumn Ridge Kids at (801) 804-8827.

Use the code EMVALUE when you enroll, and the one-time enrollment fee is $50 instead of $100.

Heather pays Eagle Mountain Value a referral fee when readers enroll with the code above.

COMMUNITY NOTESCopy a link to this section#

If your kids got free or reduced school meals last year, those benefits run out at the end of September. You have to apply again for this school year, and meals your child eats before you are approved will not be covered. You can apply online through LINQ Connect or with a paper form at your school's main office. Alpine School District's notice has the details.

Registration is open for 2027 Junior Jazz, the city's youth basketball program. There is one program for kindergarten through 8th grade and one for 9th through 12th. Sign up on the city's registration site.

Water left in your sprinkler lines over the winter can freeze and crack them. The city's fall guidance says to turn off the water supply, release the pressure and drain the lines, and some systems can also be cleared with compressed air. There is no set shutoff date. The city says the right time depends on your grass and your soil, not a date on the calendar. Read the city's guidance.

The Eagle Mountain Senior Center is celebrating 8 years. It serves residents 55 and older, with bingo, arts and crafts, fitness classes and group outings. It is at 1632 E. Heritage Dr., and you can call 801-789-6660 or read the city's post.

The city's EM30 Challenge, for its 30th anniversary, runs through November. Pick a goal built around 30, like walking 30 miles or crocheting 30 hats, and submit the form on the city's website when you finish. You get an EM30 sticker while supplies last and an entry in a drawing for prizes in December.

THIS WEEK'S EVENTSCopy a link to this section#

Tuesday, September 29

• Storytime, three sessions, 10:15 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Eagle Mountain Public Library

• Crossroads Leadership Luncheon, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m., Valley Crossroads Chamber, 3688 E Campus Dr. Ste 101. The speaker is Ben Lyne, the "I Believe In You" sign guy, on his nonprofit Show Me A Sign. Registration required.

• City Council projects planning session, 3:00 p.m.

• Cedar Valley home varsity girls soccer vs. Bingham, Senior Night, 7:00 p.m., at Cedar Valley High School

Thursday, October 1

• Cedar Valley home varsity girls soccer vs. Mountain Ridge, 3:30 p.m., at Cedar Valley High School

Saturday, October 3

• Eagle Mountain Farmers Market, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Cory B. Wride Memorial Park

• Adaptive trick-or-treat, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., City Hall. Register on the event page.

• Movie in the Park, Hocus Pocus, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Cory B. Wride Memorial Park

At the Senior Center, September 29 and 30, 1632 E Heritage Dr. — Senior Social · Senior Exercise · Arts, Crafts & Lunch · Senior Crocheting · Senior Lunch · More

WORTH THE DRIVECopy a link to this section#

• Monday, September 28 — the last Saratoga Springs Farmers Market of the season, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., Neptune Park

• Tuesday, September 29 — SCERA Cinema Classics screens How to Marry a Millionaire, 10:00 a.m., Orem · $5 Tuesday at Thanksgiving Point

• Wednesday, September 30 — an Orem summer concert, Los Hermanos de los Andes, 7:00 p.m., City Center Park. Free

• Friday, October 2 — Saratoga Springs Fall Festival, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., Shay Park, with trick-or-treating, train rides, a petting zoo and inflatables. Wristbands for the inflatables and petting zoo are $5 to $8, and train rides are $2. · Lindon Spooky Movie in the Park, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, at dusk (about 7:45 p.m.), City Center Park, with a free pumpkin, treats and hot chocolate

• Saturday, October 3 — Ghosts of Camp Floyd, Camp Floyd State Park, Fairfield. The museum opens at 6:00 p.m. and the investigation runs 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. $10, 40 people, reservations required. Also October 10, 17 and 24.

• Still running: Noises Off · Hee Haw Farms · Cornbelly's · Thomas & Friends · Spooktober at Thanksgiving Point, all October, included with admission

NEXT WEEK & COMING UPCopy a link to this section#

• Monday, October 5 — Draper Fire Prevention Safety Fair, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Draper Park. Free · Herriman Howl, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., J. Lynn Crane Park

• Tuesday, October 6 — City Council, 4:00 p.m.

• Thursday, October 8 — City Council budget work session, 6:00 p.m. Not live streamed.

• Friday, October 9 — Cedar Valley home varsity football vs. Westlake, Senior Night, 7:00 p.m. Ticketed.

• Saturday, October 10 — Farmers Market season ends · Viking Day Festival, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 200 S. Main St., Pleasant Grove. Free · Noises Off closes

• Tuesday, October 13 — Planning Commission, 5:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, October 14 — Shocktoberfest CPR/AED class, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers. Free, or $20 if you want a certification card. 25 seats. Register on the class page.

• Tuesday, October 20 — City Council, 4:00 p.m.

• Monday, October 26 — senior chili cook-off at the Senior Center

• Tuesday, October 27 — mobile mammography at the Senior Center. Appointments required.

• Saturday, October 31 — Cornbelly's ends

• Saturday, November 7 — Hee Haw Farms ends

That’s it for today. Wishing you all a happy Monday.

See you around,

— Colten