What Is Washington City Proposition 5? Quick Answer
Proposition 5 asks Washington City voters whether to add a 0.67% Emergency Services Sales and Use Tax on top of the 0.33% the city already charges, for 1.0% in total. The money can only be spent on emergency services: fire protection, ambulance service and emergency medical response. If it passes, the Washington City Council has committed to cutting the city's portion of property taxes by about 50%. The tax does not apply to groceries, gas or qualifying prescription drugs. The vote is part of the November 3, 2026 general election, and mail ballots start going out on October 13.
The Exact Ballot Language
This is how the question reads on the Washington County sample ballot. Voters mark YES or NO.
"Shall Washington City impose an additional .67% (1.0% total) Emergency Services Sales and Use Tax on taxable sales within the City to fund emergency services such as fire protection, ambulance service, and emergency medical response? If approved, the City Council has expressed its intent to reduce the City portion of property taxes by 50%, subject to Truth-in-Taxation requirements."
Prop 5 by the Numbers
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Existing emergency services tax | 0.33%, adopted by the council on March 25, 2026 |
| Added if Prop 5 passes | 0.67% |
| Total emergency services tax | 1.0% |
| Cost of the increase | 67 cents on a $100 taxable purchase |
| Exempt | Groceries, gas, qualifying prescription drugs |
| Allowed uses | Fire protection, ambulance service, emergency medical response, and the personnel, equipment and facilities behind them |
| Property tax pledge | About a 50% cut to the city's portion only, subject to Truth-in-Taxation |
| Who collects it | Utah State Tax Commission, starting on the earliest date state law allows after the election is certified |
Why the City Says It Needs the Money
A briefing document prepared for the council by City Manager Jeremy Redd lays out the city's case. Police and fire costs rose from $4.7 million in 2018 to $12.7 million in 2025, nearly tripling, and public safety now takes about 87% of the city's property and sales tax revenue. The fire department is the main driver: it has moved from part-time and volunteer staffing to a full-time department, call volume for emergency medical service has grown with the city's population and footprint, and it needs more apparatus and stations.
The city's argument for using sales tax rather than property tax rests on who pays it. A city flyer cites Placer.ai visitor data showing that about 85% of visits to Washington City businesses come from non-residents, many of them shoppers at the big-box stores along Telegraph Street and Green Spring Drive, and visitors heading to Zion. The briefing estimates the 0.33% tax alone brings in about $2.7 million a year, and says raising the same amount through property tax would take roughly a 58% property tax increase. The flyer also notes that Washington City's combined sales tax rate before these changes was 6.75%, which it calls one of the lowest in Utah.
The tax is allowed under a 2025 state law, SB 1005, which let cities levy a local sales tax for emergency services. The city's flyer says the bill was sponsored by Rep. Joseph Elison and Sen. Keven Owens.
What the Property Tax Cut Would Mean
The pledge covers only the Washington City line on your property tax bill. The school district, Washington County and special districts, which together make up most of a typical bill, are not affected. The city's 2026 tax rate, set on June 24, is 0.000760. Utah taxes a primary residence on 55% of its market value, so for a home worth $500,000 the city portion is roughly $209 a year (0.000760 × $275,000). A 50% cut would save that household about $104 a year. That is our estimate from the city's published rate, not a city figure, and the final cut has to go through the state's Truth-in-Taxation process.
On the other side of the ledger, the extra 0.67% costs $6.70 on every $1,000 of taxable spending in the city. A household that spends $10,000 a year on taxable goods and restaurant meals inside Washington City would pay about $67 more. Whether a given household comes out ahead depends on its home value and where it shops; a large share of the tax is paid by people who live elsewhere.
How the Council Got Here
- February 25, 2026: Public hearing on a 0.33% emergency services tax. A motion to deny failed 2–3, and the council voted 4–1 to continue the item.
- March 25, 2026: The continued hearing drew no public comment. A motion to put a full 1.0% tax to voters with no tax adopted in the meantime failed 2–3. Councilmember Coats then moved to adopt 0.33% now, restricted to EMS, and send the rest to voters along with the 50% property tax cut. That passed 3–2, with Councilmembers Belliston, Coats and Henderson in favor and Casperson and Ivie opposed.
- September 2026: The county certified the question as Proposition 5.
- October 2, 2026: The city published its explainer on the measure.
The county clerk has not published for-and-against arguments for any local proposition this year, and none were found on the city's website.
Santa Clara Is Voting on the Same Kind of Tax: Prop 3
Neighboring Santa Clara has its own question, Proposition 3, asking voters to authorize an emergency services sales tax of up to 1.0% for fire, ambulance and EMS personnel, equipment and facilities. Santa Clara's council adopted a 0.33% tax on April 22, 2026, by a 4–1 vote, and voted 5–0 the same night to put the full 1% on the ballot. Staff estimated the 0.33% would raise about $330,000 in its first year, roughly the cost of three firefighters, and the full 1% about $1.2 million a year. Santa Clara's tax carries a 10-year sunset. Unlike Washington City's, it does not come with a property tax pledge.
In Virgin, Proposition 4 asks voters to add 0.5% to the town's resort communities sales tax. St. George is not voting on its version: the city council adopted a 0.33% emergency services tax on October 1 without sending it to the ballot.
How and Where to Vote
Mail ballots go out starting October 13, and the registration deadline to get one is October 23. A mailed ballot must be received by 8 p.m. on November 3; a postmark no longer counts, so in the last week use a drop box. Washington City's 24-hour walk-up drop box is at the Washington City Library, 220 N 300 E, next to the book drop. Early voting runs October 27–30 at the Dixie Convention Center in St. George and the Hurricane Community Center. Every date, drop box and race on the ballot is in our Washington County 2026 election guide.
SGWOM does not take positions on ballot measures or endorse candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Proposition 5 in Washington City, Utah?
Proposition 5 asks Washington City voters to add a 0.67% emergency services sales tax to the existing 0.33%, for 1.0% in total, to fund fire protection, ambulance service and emergency medical response. If it passes, the city council has pledged to cut the city's portion of property taxes by about 50%.
Does Prop 5 tax groceries or gas?
No. The city says the emergency services sales tax does not apply to groceries, gas or qualifying prescription drugs.
Would Prop 5 cut my whole property tax bill in half?
No. The pledge applies only to the Washington City portion of the bill. Taxes for Washington County, the Washington County School District and special districts are not affected. The cut is about 50% of the city line and must go through Utah's Truth-in-Taxation process.
How much money would Prop 5 raise?
The city has not published a revenue estimate for the full 1.0%. Its briefing estimates the existing 0.33% at about $2.7 million a year; the additional 0.67% is roughly twice that rate.
When is the vote?
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Mail ballots must be received by 8 p.m. that day.
Sources
- Washington City: Proposition 5, EMS Sales Tax & 50% Property Tax Reduction (Oct. 2, 2026)
- Washington County: certification of candidates and ballot propositions and 2026 general election sample ballot
- Washington City Council packet, March 25, 2026 (EMS sales tax briefing, flyer and draft resolutions) and the council's February 25, March 25 and June 24, 2026 minutes
- Santa Clara City Council minutes, April 22, 2026
- State of Utah 2026 Voter Information Pamphlet and county vote center and drop box locations
Published October 12, 2026.
