In the Utah Taxpayers Association’s 2019 Cost of County Governments report, Daggett County ranks highest for cost of government, where residents pay on average $82.65 of each $1000 they earn.
The lowest ranked county is Washington County, where residents only pay $11.77 of each $1000 earned to the county government. The median cost of county governments in Utah is $33.03, an increase of roughly $2.50 from FY 2016.
The Utah Taxpayers Association’s 2019 Cost of County Governments report, based on FY 2017 – 18 data, shows the relationship between county government revenue and citizen income in Utah’s 29 counties. This data provides a snapshot of on average how much of each thousand dollars earned by a citizen is consumed by the county government in Utah.
This report systematically compares how well elected officials in Utah’s counties control public spending and illustrates the relationship between government as a service provider and citizens as consumers. If government were a business, citizens would be consumers purchasing services with tax dollars and fee payments. But because government is not a private business, citizens are compelled to pay, and the cost of government may not be reflective of the true value of the services provided.
F2019 Cost of County Government