Utah

Utah

Budget Links

FY2025 (enacted)
FY2025 (proposed)
FY2024 (enacted)
FY2023 (enacted)
FY2022 (enacted)
FY2021 (enacted)
FY2020 (enacted)

Proposed Budget - Fiscal Year 2025

On December 5, Utah Governor Spencer Cox submitted a budget proposal for fiscal 2025. The total operating and capital budget calls for $29.5 billion in spending from all funds, which represents a 0.3 percent decrease compared to authorized fiscal 2024 levels. The governor recommended $12.6 billion in general fund, income tax fund, and uniform school fund (GF/ITF/USF) spending in fiscal 2025, including $11.6 billion of ongoing funding, a 4.0 percent increase from GF/ITF/USF ongoing spending authorized for fiscal 2024. The governor also recommends $1.1 billion in one-time GF/ITF/USF spending for fiscal 2025. The budget is based on a consensus GF/ITF revenue forecast of $11.6 billion; this represents a 3.1 percent increase over the fiscal 2024 authorized revenue forecast and a 2.2 percent increase compared to the revised consensus estimate for fiscal 2024. The state’s major rainy day funds have balances of $1.4 billion at the end of fiscal year 2023. In tax policy, the budget includes $4.7 million to expand the existing child tax credit to cover children through age five.

Proposed Budget Highlights 

The governor’s budget invests in the elements that make Utah an exceptional place to live. The proposal strengthens and supports families, recognizes the need to provide more opportunities and pathways to homeownership, prioritizes continued stewardship of natural resources, and maximizes taxpayer dollars and proactively takes action to mitigate high-risk areas to the state. 

• $150.0 million investment towards the goal of creating 35,000 new starter homes by 2028.
  • $50.0 million increase for the First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program, which provides downpayment assistance, interest rate buy-downs, and closing costs.
  • $75.0 million for the State Infrastructure Bank to provide low-interest loans for publicly owned infrastructure that supports housing.
  • $5.0 million for the Starter Home Innovation Fund.
  • $15.0 million to support and expand sweat equity programs for housing.
• $25.0 million one-time to the Deeply Affordable Housing Grants Program to incentivize construction and $5.0 million ongoing to support services offered by the Deeply Affordable Stabilization Grant.
• $10.0 million ongoing and $90.0 million one-time to be spent over three years for emergency shelter homeless services.
• $25.0 million one-time to develop new low-barrier emergency shelters and $2.5 million ongoing for the Homeless Shelter Cities Mitigation Account.
• In behavioral health, $3.3 million one-time over three years for students at all levels of behavioral health training and $2.9 million ongoing for a rural receiving center and two additional mobile crisis outreach teams.
• $10.2 million ongoing and $185.3 million one-time for housing options tailored to different income levels and levels of need to help prevent homelessness.
• $641,000 ongoing and $10.0 million one-time to establish a HOME Court diversion pilot program, including support services, for individuals with mental illness. 

• $854.6 million in new appropriations for public education ($413.9 million new revenue) that will better support rural students, strengthen the teaching profession, and keep schools safe.
  • $34.0 million for rural schools ($32.7 million ongoing and $1.2 million one-time).
  • $111.0 million for teachers, including a pilot project to pay student teachers and $90.0 million one-time for paid preparation time.
  • $211.7 million ongoing to support a five percent increase in the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU).
  • $200.0 million one-time for an Innovation Grant Fund to expand effective and innovative programs at the local level.
• $130.7 million ($111.5 million ongoing) from new revenue and $37.7 million from previously set-aside funding ($6.3 million ongoing) to support the state’s higher education system.
  • Includes $30.0 million ongoing in performance-based funding and $11.9 million ongoing for workforce initiatives. 
• $2.9 million ongoing to add hundreds of new openings in mental and behavioral health degree programs, intended to expand the number of mental health professionals in the state.
• $6.7 million ongoing to support growth in technical education and an additional $2.0 million ongoing to increase apprenticeship opportunities. 

• $5.0 million to expand child care services through a public-private partnership.
• $1.0 million to employ evidence-based, child-focused methods to connect youth aging out of foster care with permanent families. 
• $1.0 million ongoing to staff local victim service providers and shelters and $1.7 million one-time for resources for individuals staying in shelters.
• $49.1 million to increase access to mental and behavioral health care and enhance shelter quality for children and youth in state custody.
• $7.3 million increase to providers who help aging adult recipients stay in their homes.
  

• $20.0 million one-time to the Great Salt Lake Account to support lake preservation efforts.
• $1.75 million one-time to fund water use education for consumers and train communities on water-wise land use practices. 
• $20.0 million one-time to upgrade aqueducts for earthquake resiliency and $5.0 million one-time to upgrade the safety of dams.
• $22.5 million one-time for landscape-scale watershed restoration and fuels reduction efforts. 

• $5.5 million to improve customer service and $12.7 million to enhance efficiency and innovation.
• $173.3 million for emergency preparedness and response.
• $18.9 million to address staffing and safety needs at the Utah State Correctional Facility.
• $15.0 million one-time to pay for overtime expenses at the Department of Corrections, freeing up ongoing funds to hire additional staff and facilitate an end to mandatory overtime.
• $156.7 million ongoing and $6.7 million one-time for state employee compensation. 
• Recommends transitioning all career-service positions to at-will positions, intending for current employees to retain their career-service status, where applicable, unless they move into exempt positions.

Proposed Budget Information
Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Proposal 

Governor’s Press Release