Mayor’s Connection Report

Volume 1, Issue 1 | January 21, 2026

We are committed to ensuring that every resident has clear, direct access to the facts behind our city’s decisions. To help make our detailed meeting notes and financial reports easier to digest, we are using a tool called NotebookLM to create Audio Deep Dives and Video Overviews. Think of these as a ‘Source of Truth’ in a more conversational format—like a local radio update or a short video briefing. It is important to know that these tools only use the official records we provide; they don’t ‘invent’ news or follow social media rumors. Our team reviews every second of these updates to ensure they are accurate and honest, using this technology to build a stronger connection between City Hall and your front door.

NotebookLM

Deep Dive

A Note from Mayor Rohde: Why This Matters

I believe that local government works best when it’s built on a foundation of truth and Clarity. My goal for this report is to provide you with a direct “source of truth” for city business. You shouldn’t have to rely on rumors at the grocery store or second-hand information on social media. This report is my commitment to keeping you in the loop with the objective facts—the good, the bad, and the work-in-progress—so we can stay connected as one community.

1. Financial Oversight & City Operations

We began our recent strategy sessions by reviewing the city’s fiscal health to ensure we’re protecting your tax dollars while keeping up with growth.

Reviewing Development Fees: We are adjusting application fees to ensure that the cost of development reviews—including staff and consultant time—is covered by the developers themselves rather than the taxpayers.
Impact Fees: These fees saw a 3% increase, roughly equivalent to inflation, to ensure our infrastructure keeps pace with new growth.
Enterprise Fund Management: While our sewer treatment plant is in a strong position , we are monitoring the water fund closely as operational costs rise; we’re looking at potential rate adjustments now to avoid larger issues later.
Modernizing Budgeting: We’ve proposed raising the city’s capital asset threshold to simplify our accounting and focus our energy on major, high-impact projects.

2. Deep Dive: The Neighborhood Partnership Initiative (NPI)

This is a major step forward for community openness. Based on a successful model, the NPI ensures that you have a seat at the table early in the planning process.

Four Districts: The city is now organized into four distinct districts: West, Central, East, and South.
Early Public Input: When a new development application is submitted, it will now be routed to the NPI Chair and neighborhood representatives before it ever reaches the Planning Commission.
How it Works: This structure gives neighbors the chance to meet, ask questions, and provide input on projects while they are still in the “concept” phase.
Join the Team: We are currently looking for volunteers to fill administrative and leadership roles within these districts. If you want to help lead your neighborhood, we need your voice.

3. Public Safety & Regional Partnerships

We are continuing to explore creative ways to keep Tremonton safe without placing an undue burden on your wallet.

The Partnership: We are analyzing a regional police partnership with Garland and Perry to address manpower shortages and rising costs.
Better Service: This move could add specialized investigators and a lieutenant to help handle the heavy caseloads our current officers face.
Financial Impact: Early projections suggest this partnership could save the city approximately $1.35 million annually while increasing the total number of officers available.
Answering Concerns: We’ve heard the questions regarding response times and the 20-mile distance between our partner cities. We are currently analyzing staffing logistics to ensure our coverage remains fast and reliable.

4. The Local Link (Quick Hits)

New City Website: We are building a new website in-house to improve ADA compliance, boost cybersecurity, and make city information easier for you to find.
Public Works: Our teams are busy widening Rocket Canyon Road, expanding the cemetery, and beginning essential storm drain installations.
Community Events: The Senior Center is hosting a fundraiser dance on February 13th for those 18+ , and we have a major community food drive coming up on March 14th. We have our first Town hall on Feb 12^th at 7:00 pm at city hall, please come.