The Ledger is reading American Fork's budgets, audits, redevelopment reports and disclosures. Here is what the records show so far, and what we still want answered.
The city's fiscal 2025 financial report says $3 million in grant revenue for a since-delayed water project was recorded too soon, and lowers the starting balances to match. The report also lists that year's tax-increment reimbursements to two auto dealers.
The city's fiscal 2025 financial report says $3 million in grant revenue for a since-delayed water project was recorded too soon, and lowers the starting balances to match. The report also lists that year's tax-increment reimbursements to two auto dealers.
Ryan Hunter cast the only vote against the 2025 land-use change after saying he appreciated his relationship with the Horans. The minutes record two earlier votes where Hunter and Clark Taylor noted work ties to a project and voted yes.
From 2019 to 2022 the City Council approved agreements to repay Red Pine Construction up to $1.1 million, and White Horse Developers up to $363,366, $2.34 million and $772,895, for upsized roads and utilities. State data list $3.13 million in city net expenses to White Horse in fiscal 2021.
Graphic: The Utah Ledger · Original graphic · The Utah Ledger
The City Council approved Newman Construction's $2,315,000 bid for 100 West utility work on April 14, plus a $231,500 contingency. On Oct. 16 the city's capital projects page still described the work as out to bid.
A 2025 agreement splits a $858,687 local match equally between American Fork and Lehi, with Utah County reimbursing up to $11.8 million. A trail and a developer agreement on 620 South have their own funding.
Roads, culinary water, pressurized irrigation, sewer and storm drain each send $494,758 to the city's building authority in the fiscal 2027 budget, $2,473,790 in all, against $2,474,791 in budgeted debt service.
In an Oct. 19 response, Utah County says the redevelopment agency must notify it when a cap requires early termination. The Ledger is still seeking the records needed to explain how American Fork's Egg Farm receipts were counted against the cap.
Taylor made the motion for Doug Smith Auto's $2 million sales-tax incentive in 2021. He told the council in December 2022 and January 2023 that Doug Smith was his client. The firm he now works for lists Doug Smith as a client.
Hunter's disclosure form lists SIRQ Construction as his employer and under owner/officer. He seconded the station land purchase and moved its plat, and abstained on SIRQ's $9.1 million price. The city paid SIRQ $7.2 million in fiscal 2023 and 2024.
He recused himself on irrigation rates and on irrigation share agreements, but voted on a fee change touching shareholders the same night and on a water-share banking agreement after noting his tie.
A five-member committee interviewed the two top-scoring of four firms and unanimously recommended WPA, whose fee was lower. The council approved the award 3-0. A construction manager is still to be chosen.
The one-time fees on new construction were last set in 2017. A proposed update would raise the single-family maximum to about $16,700, while restricted balances fell from $38 million to $17 million in two years.
The redevelopment agency's 2026 report says the business-park area had $213,198 left under a $9.26 million cap after 2022, then shows $3.28 million collected over the next three tax years. About two-thirds came from Alpine School District taxes.
These are older findings: each audit from fiscal 2016 through 2021 reported noncompliance with Utah's audit guide in a separate letter to management, citing spending over budget in 2020 and 2021. The city's audits for fiscal 2022 through 2025 report no instances of noncompliance.
A $40 million bond for a new public works complex and $30 million in redevelopment bonds push the city's long-term debt to a projected $112.5 million by mid-2027.
The general fund now covers about $1.2 million a year of fitness center costs, plus about $200,000 a year for broadband, while $5.4 million in fiber materials await a final partnership agreement.
North Valley and East Main collected tax increment through 2025 and recorded no spending for three years. This year's budget would spend it on improvements it doesn't describe.
Minutes show Ryan Hunter abstained on the $9.1 million SIRQ fire station price, Clark Taylor disclosed a client and voted, and the mayor stepped back from the Chamber's Steel Days deal.
Tax increment from American Fork's FrontRunner-area redevelopment zone has come in at about half the forecast. Through 2025 it was $3.3 million less than the bonds' debt service.
The local paper found a city landscaping contract held by the mayor's company went 13 years without a rebid, and that two council members list ties to the firm that built the newest fire station.
· From American Fork Citizen
Saved on this device. Statewide news and alerts remain available.