A grassroots effort to force a referendum over Salt Lake County’s property tax hike has failed, according to a news release from the group pushing against the increase.
The County Council approved a 14.65% property tax increase on Dec. 9 as part of its 2026 budget. The hike is expected to generate an additional $36.5 million, county officials have said, to pay for rising operational costs and investments in public safety.
In December, a group called AX THE TAX filed its intention to petition for a referendum. The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office approved the petition in early January and gave the group a 45-day window to gather about 45,000 signatures to get the issue on November ballots.
As of Wednesday, the Salt Lake County clerk had verified 6,311 signatures of the 13,477 submitted.
Goud Maragani, a former Republican candidate for Salt Lake County clerk who has led the group, announced in a news release Monday that the campaign “determined it did not have sufficient verified signatures to qualify for the ballot and immediately transitioned to direct budget reform work.”
“AX THE TAX volunteers have consistently emphasized that their goal has never been a showy protest for its own sake,” Maragani said in the release. “Their goal has been to secure a seat at the table with elected officials and to engage in open, transparent, and meaningful budget review and cuts.”
The group will not disband, but will instead work on budget analysis, public engagement and recommendations ahead of the County Council’s June budget review process, according to the release.
“This effort was powered entirely by community members choosing to engage,” Maragani said. “... The priority now is to complete the work this effort began — directly with elected officials, county staff, and the public — within the county’s established budget timeline.”