In a recent press release, Uintah County has announced the tentative budget for 2021. There are several significant budget highlights. 2020 budgeted expenditures were $74.5 million dollars while the budgeted expenditures for 2021 are set at $48.8 million dollars, a decrease of $25.7 million dollars or 34 percent. This tentative budget reflects the reductions of 7 to 10 percent that department heads were asked to make. This tentative budget presents no increase in the property tax rate, as well as no salary cost-of-living increase. Bond payment for the Public Safety Complex interest-bearing revenue bond and the Library interest-bearing revenue bond received a payment of $9,806,600 dollars for the 2020 budget and $601,600 dollars for the 2021 budget. The reduction of $9.2 million dollars in the 2021 budgeted payments is due to the early retirement of the Public Safety Complex interest-bearing revenue bond and the Uintah County Library interest-bearing revenue bond. Lastly, effective as of April 27, 2020 the county approved Policy 260, Retirement Incentive. This policy requires any new employee hired to replace an employee leaving under Policy 260 to not be paid more then 65% of the salary of the departing employee. To date, 27 county employees have applied for the incentive, which has resulted in a saving of $628,300 dollars for the Uintah County 2021 tentative budget.
