What each office does

Responsibilities and powers

• Taylorsville uses the council-mayor form of government: the council is the legislative branch, enacting ordinances and adopting the annual budget, while the mayor is the chief executive (Taylorsville 2023 financial report transmittal letter; Utah Code 10-3b-201).
• Under state law the council passes ordinances, appropriates funds and reviews municipal administration, and elects one of its members as chair (Utah Code 10-3b-203).
• Limits: council members may not direct hiring or firing (except in writing), interfere with an executive officer's duties, or give orders to the mayor's staff. A member may not hold any other paid job with the city (10-3b-203).
• Checks on the mayor: the mayor's key appointments (city administrator, recorder, treasurer, engineer, attorney) need the council's advice and consent (10-3b-202). The council can override a mayoral veto of an ordinance, tax levy or appropriation with two-thirds of all members (10-3b-204).
• Five members, each elected by district to a four-year, nonpartisan term; terms are staggered (Districts 1–3 next on the ballot Nov 2, 2027 [COMPUTED]; Districts 4–5 in 2029). Candidates must live in their district (Utah Code 20A-9-203).
• Each member files a conflict-of-interest disclosure under Utah Code 10-3-1306.

A typical week

• Meetings: the council "will typically hold its City Council meetings ... on the first and third Wednesdays of each month," with a briefing session at 6:00 p.m. followed by the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers (Room 140), 2600 W Taylorsville Blvd (2026 meeting schedule notice). That is about 24 regular meetings a year, plus occasional special meetings.
• What a meeting looks like: minutes show the mayor, city administrator, city recorder, police chief, city attorney and a Unified Fire representative attending; the briefing reviews the agenda, and the regular meeting covers citizen comment, ordinances, resolutions and contracts (Feb 4, 2026 minutes; Jun 17, 2026 minutes). Agendas and packets are posted on the Utah Public Notice Website (body 720).
• Between meetings [INFERRED]: reading agenda packets, answering district residents' calls and emails, meeting with staff for briefings, and attending city events and community council meetings.
• Seasonal cycle: Taylorsville's fiscal year runs July–June. Budget work peaks in May–June (tentative budget, then adoption). In 2026 the council considered a 5% property tax increase on June 17 (Resolution 26-18) (Jun 17, 2026 minutes) and adopted the final FY2026-27 budget on Aug 12, 2026 after the truth-in-taxation process (Res. 26-21, utah.gov/pmn/files/1467231.pdf).

Time commitment

• Part-time. Roughly 10–20 hours a week [INFERRED: two evening meetings a month of about one to three hours, plus packet preparation, constituent contact and events; heavier in budget season]. Most members hold other jobs.

Staff and budget

• Council members have no personal staff; the City Recorder's office supports the council [INFERRED from meeting minutes listing the recorder as council staff].
• City Council department budget: $206,576 requested for FY2027 (council salaries $119,233, benefits $33,843, plus the city's annual audit, $38,000) (Taylorsville FY27 budget).
• The council oversees a General Fund of about $35.5 million (FY2027 requested), the largest piece being Police at $15.3 million (same source).

Pay

• $23,029 paid in FY2026 (Transparent Utah, Harker and Burgess). The FY2027 budget of $119,233 for five seats works out to about $23,850 each (estimated).
• City code §2.14.040 sets council pay and ties raises to staff general raises. The city also pays half the cheapest single health premium (or that amount to retirement), retirement and life insurance, and reimburses internet and IRS-rate mileage. Benefits paid in FY2026 were about $6,450–$7,110 per member.

Sources

• Utah Code 10-3b-201, -202, -203, -204
• 2026 Taylorsville City Council meeting schedule
• Taylorsville FY2027 budget summary
• Taylorsville code §2.14.040 (council compensation)

Responsibilities and powers

• The mayor is "the chief executive and administrative officer of the municipality" and must keep the peace, enforce city laws and execute the policies adopted by the council (Utah Code 10-3b-202).
• Appoints, with council consent, the city's recorder, treasurer, engineer and attorney, and may appoint a chief administrative officer (Taylorsville's City Administrator) and deputies (10-3b-202).
• Supervises every executive department and reports to the council on appropriations, spending and the city's condition (10-3b-202).
• Veto: may veto an ordinance, tax levy, or all or part of an appropriation within 15 days; the council needs two-thirds of all members to override (10-3b-204).
• Attends council meetings, takes part in discussion and advises the council, but does not vote as a council member (10-3b-202).
• In Taylorsville, "the Mayor oversees the administration of the City through the Community Development, the Court and the Administrative Departments, utilizing the budget adopted by the City Council" (2023 transmittal letter). The city also runs its own police department (Police Chief Brady Cottam attends council meetings) and works with Unified Fire Authority for fire and EMS (Feb 4, 2026 minutes).
• Elected citywide to a four-year nonpartisan term; next election Nov 6, 2029 [COMPUTED].

A typical week

• Council meetings: the mayor attends the 6:00 p.m. briefing and 6:30 p.m. regular meeting on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays (2026 schedule; minutes list the mayor at each meeting).
• Management [INFERRED]: regular meetings with the City Administrator (John Taylor), the CFO and department heads; preparing the proposed budget each spring; signing contracts and ordinances.
• Community and regional work [INFERRED]: city events, business visits, meetings with county and state officials, and regional boards (the city holds a seat on the Unified Fire Authority board).
• Seasonal cycle: budget preparation in spring; budget adoption in June, and in a tax-increase year a truth-in-taxation hearing before final adoption in August (FY2027 final budget adopted Aug 12, 2026, Res. 26-21).

Time commitment

• Full-time. State law sets no hours, but the office is paid a full-time salary with full benefits and directs daily operations [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• Mayor's office budget: $229,451 requested for FY2027 (Taylorsville FY27 budget).
• Oversees a General Fund of about $35.5 million (FY2027 requested): Police $15.3M, Public Works $5.5M, Administration $3.0M, Court $2.0M, and others (same source). A citywide employee count was not found in the budget summary.

Pay

• $145,031 paid in FY2026 plus $46,772 in benefits (Transparent Utah). FY2027 budget: $150,126 salary, $50,525 benefits.

Sources

• Utah Code 10-3b-202, 10-3b-204
• Taylorsville 2023 financial report transmittal letter
• Taylorsville FY2027 budget summary

Responsibilities and powers

• Salt Lake County has a mayor-council form of government. The Council "is the legislative body responsible for enacting County ordinances and regulations, adopting the annual budget, and authorizing many intergovernmental agreements" (SLCo Council).
• State law gives the county legislative body "all legislative powers" of the county (Utah Code 17-64-401).
• Board of Equalization: "The county legislative body is the county board of equalization." It must hold public hearings each year to examine the tax roll and equalize property values, may appoint trained hearing officers, and makes the final decision on appeals (Utah Code 59-2-1001; 17-64-407).
• Approves appointments to boards, commissions and departments (SLCo Council).
• Nine members: three at-large (countywide, six-year terms) and six by district (four-year terms), partisan (SLCo Council; SLCo Budget in Brief, p.3). Taylorsville is in District 3.

A typical week

• Weekly meeting: the county calendar lists a County Council Meeting on Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. at the Government Center, 2001 S State St; 39 regular council meetings appear on the 2026 calendar (SLCo meeting calendar). Meetings stream on Facebook Live (SLCo Council).
• Board of Equalization: 17 BOE meetings are scheduled in 2026 in Council Chambers (N1-110), usually on a Tuesday afternoon (for example Jan 13, Mar 10, Sept 15, Oct 6, Oct 13, Oct 20, Nov 3, Nov 17, Dec 8) (same calendar).
• Other bodies: the 2026 calendar also lists the Municipal Building Authority, the Tourism, Recreation, Cultural and Convention (TRCC) board, the Debt Review Committee and the Executive Coordinating Committee (same).
• Seasonal cycle: the mayor proposes a budget in the fall, the council revises it in November and adopts it in December (the 2026 budget was council-recommended Nov 25, 2025 and adopted Dec 9, 2025) (SLCo budget documents). Property-value appeals reach the board from late summer through winter.
• Between meetings [INFERRED]: reading staff reports, meeting mayors and city councils in the district, constituent casework, and community events.

Time commitment

• Part-time by the county's own description (Budget in Brief, p.3). Expect roughly 15–30 hours a week [INFERRED from a near-weekly half-day meeting, BOE sessions, outside boards and district work; heavier October–December].

Staff and budget

• Council office: 20 FTEs, plus 5.5 FTEs in Council-Tax Administration, which runs the Board of Equalization (SLCo FTE table); council budget $5.4 million (2026 adopted, Budget in Brief p.14).
• The council adopts a countywide budget of $2.13 billion in total uses (2026), covering 4,339 FTEs (Budget in Brief).

Pay

• $52,083 a year; the Chair earns $57,293, plus the county benefits package (SLCo pay schedule, p.48; salaries set under SLCo Ord. §2.12.080).

Sources

• SLCo Council
• Utah Code 17-64-401, 59-2-1001
• SLCo Council-Tax Administration (Board of Equalization)

Responsibilities and powers

• "The elected county executive is the chief executive officer of the county" and exercises all executive powers except those state law gives to the other elected county officers (Assessor, Attorney, Auditor, Clerk, Recorder, Sheriff, Surveyor, Treasurer) (Utah Code 17-65-301).
• The SLCo mayor "administers the budget and county operations and services" and oversees programs including economic development, public health, affordable housing, environment, social services, arts and recreation (SLCo Mayor).
• Appoints department heads and board members with the council's advice and consent (Utah Code 17-65-307) and may issue executive orders (17-65-303).
• Elected countywide to a four-year partisan term; current term 2025–2028, so the seat is next on the ballot in Nov 2028 [COMPUTED].

A typical week

• Budget: the mayor delivers a budget proposal each fall (the mayor's page links the "2026 Budget Proposal Speech") and the council adopts the budget in December (SLCo Mayor; budget documents).
• Management [INFERRED]: meetings with department directors and the chief financial officer, labor and contract decisions, and executive orders.
• Public role [INFERRED]: news conferences, community events, meetings with city mayors (including Taylorsville's), state legislators and regional bodies such as the Executive Coordinating Committee on the county calendar.

Time commitment

• Full-time, with frequent evening and weekend public events [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• Mayor's departments make up most of the county budget: "Mayor: County Services" $739.7M, "Mayor: Regional Operations" $276.0M and "Mayor: Other" $235.7M in 2026 (Budget in Brief p.14). Mayor Administration has 29 FTEs and Mayor Financial Administration 36 FTEs; the county as a whole budgets 4,339 FTEs (SLCo FTE table; Budget in Brief).

Pay

• $197,478 a year, about $69.5k in benefits (2025 actual) (SLCo pay schedule, p.48; Transparent Utah).

Sources

• Utah Code 17-65-301
• SLCo Mayor
• SLCo 2026 Budget in Brief

Responsibilities and powers

• Values all locally assessed property. "The county assessor shall assess all property located within the county which is not required by law to be assessed by the commission" (Utah Code 59-2-301). The State Tax Commission values utilities, mines, airlines and similar property; the county values the rest (SLCo Assessor FAQ).
• Fair market value as of January 1. Property is valued "on the basis of its fair market value, as valued on January 1." A primary residence gets a 45% residential exemption, so it is taxed on 55% of market value (Utah Code 59-2-103).
• Before May 22 each year, the assessor must identify the owners of all taxable property, value it to the owner of record as of midnight Jan. 1, and complete and deliver the tax roll (the statute calls it the "book") to the County Auditor, with a sworn statement that values are equal, uniform and at fair market value (59-2-303; 59-2-311). A preliminary roll goes to the State Tax Commission by May 15 (59-2-311(4)).
• Annual mass appraisal plus a five-year review. Values must be updated every year "based on a systematic review of current market data" using a computer-assisted mass appraisal system certified with the Tax Commission. Every parcel's characteristics must get a detailed review at least once every five years, under a published five-year plan (59-2-303.1).
• Personal property and collections. Values business personal property (equipment, mobile homes, aircraft) and collects those taxes, along with the tax-collection duties in Title 59, Chapter 2, Part 13 that are not assigned to the Treasurer (Utah Code 17-67-301; SLCo Business Personal Property).
• Keeps appraisers credentialed. Anyone appraising real property for the tax roll must hold a state appraiser license or certificate, or be a registered trainee working under one, and the assessor must keep the office in compliance (59-2-701).
• What the Assessor does not do: "Rates are not set by the County Assessor." Each taxing entity's budget drives its rate through the Truth in Taxation process (SLCo Assessor FAQ). Bills are sent and collected by the Treasurer.
• Elected countywide to a four-year partisan term. The current term is 2025–2028; the next election is Nov 7, 2028, with filing in early January 2028 [COMPUTED].

Who does the appraisal work (staff and divisions)

• About 105 FTEs in the Assessor's office (SLCo FTE table, org 73000000). 2026 budget: $19.5 million (2025: $19.1M; 2024 actual: $17.9M) (Budget in Brief p.14).
• Divisions: Residential Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate, Business Personal Property, Greenbelt (farmland), GIS, and Motor Vehicle (SLCo Assessor departments).
• How the work is organized: appraisers are assigned to specific economic or market areas for consistent data collection; a statistical department values more than 290,000 residential properties each year with regression models and runs the annual sales ratio study and audit with the Tax Commission (the incumbent's official biography, SLCo Assessor).
• How close values are to sale prices: the Tax Commission's 2026 sales ratio study (2025 sales) found Salt Lake County's residential values at a median of 99.5% of sale prices across 10,435 sales, with a coefficient of dispersion of 4.25 (Tax Commission 2026 study, Table 1).
• Credentials on staff: real-property appraisers must be licensed, certified, or registered trainees (59-2-701); the Tax Commission may add requirements, such as its Ad Valorem designations, which the incumbent holds (SLCo Assessor bio).

The Assessor's role at the Board of Equalization

• The County Council is the Board of Equalization (BOE), the Auditor is its clerk, Council-Tax Administration staffs it, and the District Attorney is its lawyer (59-2-1001; SLCo Tax Administration).
• The Assessor "establishes the original valuation and may be required to attend the hearings and to provide testimony and evidence in defense of any valuation under appeal," may meet informally with owners and recommend value changes to the board, and collects personal-property taxes as the board decides (SLCo Tax Administration). By statute the assessor or a deputy must be present when needed and may introduce and examine witnesses (59-2-1001(5)).
• The board may not use anyone employed by the Assessor's office as a hearing officer (59-2-1001(3)(d)).
• Deadlines that bind the Assessor: owners may appeal by Sept. 15 or 45 days after the valuation notice, whichever is later; for property appealed the year before, the Assessor must report its "inflation adjusted value" within 15 business days of a new appeal; the board must decide each appeal within 60 days unless the Tax Commission extends it (59-2-1004).
• "The Assessor's value is presumed to be correct under state law," so owners must bring evidence (SLCo appeal page). Board decisions can be appealed to the State Tax Commission.
• In 2026 the BOE took appeals from July 31 to Sept. 15, and BOE sessions are on the council's calendar from January through December (SLCo Tax Administration; SLCo meeting calendar).

The property tax calendar (Salt Lake County)

When	What happens	Who	Source
Jan 1	Valuation and ownership date: all property is valued as it exists on this date	Assessor	59-2-103; Assessor dates
Jan–May	Personal property statements mailed (Jan–Feb); owners have 60 days to return them with payment. Mass-appraisal models built from the prior year's sales [INFERRED]	Assessor	Business Personal Property
Mar 15	Treasurer certifies the record of delinquent taxes; tax-sale list goes to the Auditor	Treasurer	Property Tax dates
May 1	Greenbelt (farmland) applications due	Assessor	same
May 15	Preliminary tax roll to the State Tax Commission	Assessor	59-2-311(4)
May 22	Tax roll completed and certified to the Auditor	Assessor	59-2-311(1)
Late May	Auditor's tax sale of properties more than five years delinquent	Auditor	Property Tax dates
June 22	Tax Commission certifies the state basic levy; taxing entities adopt tentative budgets and proposed rates	Tax Commission, cities, schools	same
July 22	Auditor mails the "Notice of Valuation and Tax Change" to every owner	Auditor	59-2-919.1
Aug	Truth-in-taxation hearings for entities raising taxes (e.g., Granite SD on Aug 18, 2026)	Taxing entities	Granite notice
Aug 1–Sept 15	Board of Equalization open for value appeals (or 45 days after the notice, if later)	BOE, Assessor	59-2-1004; appeal page
Sept 1	Tax relief applications due to the Treasurer	Treasurer	Property Tax dates
Oct–winter	Appeals reviewed or heard; values may go up, down or stay	BOE, hearing officers, Assessor	appeal page
Nov 1	Treasurer mails tax notices (bills)	Treasurer	59-2-1317; Property Tax dates
Nov 30	Property taxes due	Treasurer	59-2-1331
Dec 1	Unpaid taxes delinquent (2.5% penalty, or 1% if paid by Jan 31)	Treasurer	same

A typical week (by season)

• Jan–May [INFERRED from the statutory deadlines above]: valuation season. Reviewing market models and the year's sales with the residential, commercial and statistical teams, overseeing the five-year field-review plan, and signing off on the roll by May 22.
• June–July [INFERRED]: answering questions from cities, school districts and the Tax Commission as rates are set; preparing for the valuation notices mailed by July 22.
• Aug–Sept: peak public contact. The office invites owners "year round to meet informally with staff, to correct errors in property characteristics and to discuss valuation issues" (SLCo Assessor FAQ), and appeals open Aug 1.
• Oct–Mar: Board of Equalization hearings and Tax Commission appeals, where the Assessor's appraisers defend values (2026 BOE sessions on the county calendar run Jan–June and Sept–Dec).
• All year [INFERRED]: managing about 105 staff, the office budget and technology (the mass appraisal system), meeting the Tax Commission's standards, and working with the Recorder (ownership changes) and Treasurer (bills).

Time commitment

• Full-time. The sworn May 22 deadline and the appeal deadlines make it a year-round management job [INFERRED].

Qualification: state appraiser license required before filing

• To file for Assessor, a candidate must already be a state-licensed or state-certified appraiser. The exception that lets a non-appraiser file and become certified within 36 months applies only to 4th–6th class counties, and only when no appraiser files in the first three days (Utah Code 17-67-201, effective May 6, 2026). Salt Lake County is a first-class county (17-60-104), so the exception does not apply. A registered trainee does not qualify.
• An Assessor who stops meeting the requirement vacates the office (17-67-201(2)).
• General county-office requirements also apply: U.S. citizen, county resident for one year as of election day, registered voter (17-66-201).
• How the license works in Utah (Utah Division of Real Estate). Utah requires a step-by-step path: Trainee, then Licensed, then Certified (DRE qualifying education).
  1. Register as an Appraiser Trainee: 87 hours of approved education (Basic Appraisal Principles 30, Basic Appraisal Procedures 30, National USPAP 15, Valuation Bias and Fair Housing 8, Supervisory Appraiser and Trainee course 4), a supervising Certified Residential or Certified General appraiser, fingerprints and a background check, and a $145 fee (DRE Trainee). Experience counts only while registered as a trainee.
  2. Become a Licensed Appraiser (the minimum credential that qualifies a candidate to file): 75 more hours of education (162 total), at least 1,000 experience hours accumulated over six months to five years as a trainee (fee or mass-appraisal experience logs; residential trainees must be accompanied by the supervisor on the first 35 inspections), or completion of a Licensed Appraiser PAREA module; then apply ($250) and pass the Licensed Appraiser exam (DRE Licensed Appraiser).
  3. Certified Residential (optional; the incumbent's credential): more education, 30 college credit hours in specified subjects (or an experience opt-out for appraisers licensed five years), 1,500 experience hours including at least 500 hours over six months as a Licensed Appraiser (DRE Qualifications).
• Timeline [COMPUTED]: the 2028 county filing window is expected to be Jan 3–7, 2028 (Utah Code 20A-9-201.5). The rules require at least six months of trainee experience, so a candidate must register as a trainee, with a supervisor, well before mid-2027 to have any chance of holding a license by the filing window. Exam scheduling and the Division's review of sample appraisals add more time.

Pay

• $197,058 a year (2026), about $66.3k in benefits; 2025 total compensation $263,366 ($197,031 wages + $66,335 benefits) (SLCo pay schedule, p.48; Transparent Utah 2025).

Sources

• Utah Code 17-67-201, 17-67-301
• Utah Code 59-2-301, 59-2-303, 59-2-303.1, 59-2-311, 59-2-701, 59-2-1001, 59-2-1004
• SLCo Assessor, Assessor dates and deadlines, Property Tax dates and deadlines
• Utah Division of Real Estate: appraiser licensing
• Utah State Tax Commission 2026 sales ratio study

Responsibilities and powers

• Performs accounting and auditing duties, gives the council a statement of county debt, and may conduct financial audits, reviews and performance audits of any county office, department or court; in a first-class county, audits follow generally accepted government auditing standards (Utah Code 17-69-301). The Auditor may not audit the Auditor's own office.
• Required credential (first-class counties): candidates must hold an active CPA, CIA, CFE, CMA or CISA certification (17-69-202).
• Property tax: clerk of the Board of Equalization (59-2-1001(1)); mails the Notice of Valuation and Tax Change by July 22 (59-2-919.1); conducts the tax sale of properties delinquent more than five years, traditionally in late May (Property Tax dates).
• The office has a Property Tax Division and an Audit Services Division, takes fraud reports, and publishes audit reports and a recommendations dashboard (SLCo Auditor).
• Four-year partisan term; on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot.

A typical week

• Audit work [INFERRED]: planning and reviewing audits, meeting with audited departments, and releasing reports to the council and public.
• Property tax calendar: tax sale (May), valuation notices (by July 22), BOE appeal intake and records (Aug–winter) (sources above).

Time commitment

• Full-time [INFERRED from salary and duties].

Staff and budget

• 28 FTEs (Auditor 17.5 + Auditor-Tax Administration 10.5) (SLCo FTE table); 2026 budget $5.4 million (Budget in Brief p.14).

Pay

• $197,058 a year, about $64.8k in benefits (2025) (SLCo pay schedule p.48; Transparent Utah).

Sources

• Utah Code 17-69-301, 17-69-202
• SLCo Auditor

Responsibilities and powers

• Records all County Council proceedings, votes and ordinances, keeps county records open for inspection, records tax levies, and sets policies for and keeps the register of marriage licenses (Utah Code 17-70-302).
• Runs the county's Election Division (voter registration, ballots, voting), Marriage Division, Passport Division and the Council Clerk's office, which keeps minutes for the Council, Redevelopment Agency, Municipal Building Authority, Board of Canvassers and Legislative Audit Committee (SLCo Clerk).
• Accepts county candidate filings with their conflict-of-interest disclosures (17-70-304; candidate filing). Must complete state elections training (17-70-201).
• Four-year partisan term; on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot.

A typical week

• Election season (2026 example): logic-and-accuracy test Oct 9, ballots mailed Oct 13, early voting from Oct 20, Election Day Nov 3, post-election audit Nov 10, canvass Nov 17 (SLCo 2026 dates).
• Off-season [INFERRED]: voter-roll maintenance, equipment and vote-center planning, contracting with cities for municipal elections, and daily marriage and passport counters.

Time commitment

• Full-time, with very long days around elections [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• 42 FTEs (Clerk 16 + Election Clerk 26) (SLCo FTE table); 2026 budget $11.4 million (Budget in Brief p.14). Seasonal election workers are not in the FTE count [INFERRED].

Pay

• $197,058 a year, about $66.3k in benefits (2025) (SLCo pay schedule p.48).

Sources

• Utah Code 17-70-302
• SLCo Clerk

Responsibilities and powers

• Acts as public prosecutor for the county and as civil counsel, reviews county ordinances and suggests fixes to the Legislature or council (Utah Code 17-68-301, 17-68-303).
• The office prosecutes "all felony criminal matters in Salt Lake County" and handles civil government legal work and litigation (SLCo District Attorney). It is also legal counsel to the Board of Equalization (SLCo Tax Administration).
• Programs listed by the office include victim support, restorative justice, a Conviction Integrity Unit and reviews of officer-involved critical incidents (same page).
• Qualifications: U.S. citizen, licensed Utah attorney and active Bar member in good standing, registered voter and one-year county resident (17-68-202).
• Four-year partisan term; on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot.

A typical week [INFERRED from the office's divisions and programs]

• Meeting division chiefs on charging decisions and high-profile cases, reviewing officer-involved incidents, press briefings, working with police chiefs (including Taylorsville's) and the courts, and advising the mayor and council.

Time commitment

• Full-time [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• 313 FTEs (District Attorney 311 + DA-Tax Administration 2) in the 2026 council-recommended budget (SLCo FTE table); the office page describes "255 Deputy District Attorneys, Paralegals, Investigators, Legal Secretaries, and other support staff" (page undated). 2026 budget $65.6 million (Budget in Brief p.14).

Pay

• $230,865 a year, about $75.2k in benefits (2025) (SLCo pay schedule p.48).

Sources

• Utah Code 17-68-301, 17-68-202
• SLCo District Attorney

Responsibilities and powers

• On recording a document, stamps it with an entry number, date and time and fee, and indexes it by entry number, parties, legal description, document type and water right, so the index shows a true chain of title for every parcel (Utah Code 17-71-302).
• Since 2025, runs a system that lets owners get an electronic alert when a deed or mortgage is recorded on their property (17-71-302(1)(b)).
• Prepares and keeps ownership plats and reports ownership changes to the Assessor (17-71-303, 17-71-304).
• The office calls itself "the foundation of the whole real estate market and the place where the property tax system in the county begins" and publishes an interactive tax map (SLCo Recorder).
• Four-year partisan term (current term 2025–2028).

A typical week [INFERRED from statutory duties]

• Overseeing recording and indexing teams and the mapping (tax administration) staff, fraud-prevention outreach, and working with title companies, the Assessor and the Surveyor.

Time commitment

• Full-time [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• 48.75 FTEs (Recorder 24.75 + Recorder-Tax Administration 24) (SLCo FTE table); 2026 budget $7.0 million (Budget in Brief p.14).

Pay

• $197,058 a year, about $69.5k in benefits (2025) (SLCo pay schedule p.48).

Sources

• Utah Code 17-71-302
• SLCo Recorder

Responsibilities and powers

• Must preserve the peace, make lawful arrests, attend and secure the courts, keep the county jail and its prisoners, and serve court process and notices (Utah Code 17-72-301).
• The office runs the Metro Jail and Oxbow Jail, plus Public Safety and Law Enforcement bureaus, Search and Rescue and the Mounted Posse, with "over 1,100 employees and volunteers" (SLCo Sheriff).
• Taylorsville note: day-to-day policing in Taylorsville is done by the city's own police department (FY2027 Police budget $15.3M; Taylorsville FY27 budget), not the Sheriff. Taylorsville residents rely on the Sheriff mainly for the jail and court security [INFERRED].
• Qualifications: at filing, a POST certificate showing the candidate meets peace-officer standards and can be certified as a law enforcement officer (17-72-201).
• Four-year partisan term; on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot.

A typical week [INFERRED from the office's bureaus]

• Jail population and staffing decisions, court-security planning, command-staff meetings, budget and council presentations, community events and media.

Time commitment

• Full-time and on call [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• 1,213 FTEs: County Jail 901, Court Services and Security 148, Countywide Investigations and Support Services 164 (SLCo FTE table). 2026 budget $211.0 million, the largest of any separately elected county office (Budget in Brief p.14).

Pay

• $200,530 a year, about $89.6k in benefits (2025; public-safety retirement) (SLCo pay schedule p.48).

Sources

• Utah Code 17-72-301, 17-72-201
• SLCo Sheriff

Responsibilities and powers

• The office must be filled by election and by a licensed professional land surveyor (Utah Code 17-73-201).
• Provides all maps the county or its officers need and files them (except ownership plats, which the Recorder keeps) (17-73-301); may administer oaths and take evidence for surveys and set rules for electronic filing (17-73-302).
• Services include finding surveys and monuments, filing records of survey, monument permits and mapping/GIS (SLCo Surveyor).
• Four-year partisan term (current term 2025–2028).

A typical week [INFERRED]

• Reviewing filed surveys, field crews resetting monuments disturbed by construction, permit questions from engineers and surveyors, and GIS work shared with the Recorder and Assessor.

Time commitment

• Full-time [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• 26.48 FTEs (Surveyor 20.48 + Surveyor Tax Administration 6) (SLCo FTE table); 2026 budget $4.3 million (Budget in Brief p.14).

Pay

• $197,058 a year, about $64.1k in benefits (2025) (SLCo pay schedule p.48).

Sources

• Utah Code 17-73-201, 17-73-301
• SLCo Surveyor

Responsibilities and powers

• Receives all county money, deposits and invests it under the State Money Management Act, keeps the records and pays county warrants, and performs the tax-collection duties of Title 59, Chapter 2, Part 13 (Utah Code 17-74-301).
• Mails tax notices and collects taxes (59-2-1317); taxes are due Nov 30, with penalties after (59-2-1331).
• The office "bills, collects, protects, and distributes more than $2 billion in property taxes" for 82 county entities and manages relief programs for veterans, blind, low-income, indigent and hardship applicants (SLCo Treasurer; Property Tax dates).
• Four-year partisan term (current term 2025–2028).

A typical week

• Seasonal: Jan 31 penalty step, Mar 15 delinquent-tax certification, Mar 31 year-end report to the Tax Commission, Sept 1 relief deadline, Nov 1 bills, Nov 30 due date, Dec 31 delinquency notices (Property Tax dates).
• Weekly [INFERRED]: cash and investment decisions, distributions to cities and school districts, and taxpayer service.

Time commitment

• Full-time [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• 26 FTEs (Treasurer-Tax Administration) (SLCo FTE table); 2026 budget $8.8 million (Budget in Brief p.14).

Pay

• $197,058 a year, about $34.9k in benefits (2025) (SLCo pay schedule p.48).

Sources

• Utah Code 17-74-301
• SLCo Treasurer

Responsibilities and powers

• State law requires a local board to implement the state core standards, give the required tests and use the results to plan improvement, issue grades, build early-warning systems for struggling students, and train administrators (Utah Code 53G-4-402).
• The Granite board "holds public meetings once or twice monthly to establish district policies, approve purchases and budgets, receive reports from district administrators, approve administrative appointments, and conduct other business" (Granite Board of Education).
• Budget and taxes: adopts the district budget (2026–27: $951.8 million in total expenditures) and any property tax increase after a truth-in-taxation hearing (Granite budget development; 2026–27 budget).
• Seven members, elected by precinct to four-year nonpartisan terms (Granite Board). Taylorsville is mostly in Precincts 3 and 4, with a sliver in 6.

A typical week

• Meetings: the 2026 schedule has regular board meetings on the first Tuesday of most months (administrative reports 5:00 p.m., general session 7:00 p.m.), study sessions about two weeks later, a June 16 budget hearing, an Aug. 18 truth-in-taxation hearing, and spring executive sessions for employee negotiations (2026 Board Meeting Schedule). Meetings are at the Granite Education Center, 2500 S State, and broadcast online.
• Seasonal cycle: spring negotiations and budget building, the interim budget in June, the tax hearing in August, and reports on fall enrollment (52,197 projected for fall 2026, down 2,270) (2026–27 budget).
• Between meetings [INFERRED]: reading board packets, visiting schools in the precinct, answering parent emails and calls, attending school community council and graduation events, and committee work.

Time commitment

• Part-time, roughly 5–15 hours a week [INFERRED from two evening meetings a month plus preparation and school visits]. Most members hold other jobs.

Staff and budget

• No personal staff. The board directs the superintendent and district administration, who run a $951.8 million budget for about 52,000 students (2026–27 budget).

Pay

• About $10,444 a year (one member's FY2026 record). Members may join district health, dental and life plans, and expenses are reimbursed. Pay was set in 2019 at 20% of a first-year teacher's salary ($8,696 then) (Transparent Utah; Granite 2019 compensation hearing).

Sources

• Utah Code 53G-4-402
• Granite Board of Education; budget development

Responsibilities and powers

• "The state board has general control and supervision of the state's public education system," but "may not govern, manage, or operate school districts" unless a statute allows it (Utah Code 53E-3-401; Utah Constitution Art. X, Sec. 3).
• Makes administrative rules to carry out education statutes, can sell surplus property, sets policy for federal education programs, and can enforce its rules against districts and charter schools (53E-3-401).
• Also serves as the governing board of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USBE 2026 schedule).
• Taylorsville is almost entirely in District 8, which is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot (four-year terms; partisan on the 2026 ballot).

A typical week

• 2026 schedule: all-day board meetings Jan 7, Feb 5, Mar 12, Apr 2, May 7, June 4, Aug 6, Sept 3, Oct 1, Nov 5, Dec 3, each followed by a day of standing committees and the USDB board; weekly Board Legislative Meetings (Thursdays at noon) during the January–March session; a two-day board workshop July 9–10 (USBE 2026 Board Meeting Schedule).
• Between meetings [INFERRED]: reading long board packets, meeting district superintendents and local boards in the district (District 8 covers several districts), parent and teacher contacts, and testifying at the Legislature.

Time commitment

• Part-time. Members are paid for up to 84 meeting days a year (Board Policy 2001). Expect roughly 10–20 hours a week on average [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• The board oversees the USBE agency, led by the State Superintendent it appoints. FY2027 budget: $6.9 billion, most of it passed through to districts and charter schools (excludes local funding) (USBE FY2027 Annual Budget, Apr. 3, 2026; USBE board).

Pay

• About $18k–28k a year (FY2025 paid range); $301 per meeting day, following the legislator rate, for up to 84 days. Optional group insurance; travel reimbursed (Utah Code 36-2-3; Board Policy 2001; Transparent Utah).

Sources

• Utah Code 53E-3-401
• USBE board meetings

Responsibilities and powers

• The Legislature holds the state's legislative power. Representatives serve two-year terms and senators four-year terms (Utah Constitution Art. VI, Sec. 1 and 3; Legislature roster).
• Passes laws and the annual state budget (appropriations acts), sets judges' salaries (for example S.B. 8, 2026), and the Senate confirms the governor's appointments, including judges (Utah Code 67-8-2).
• Session: the annual general session begins "the first Tuesday after the third Monday in January" (Utah Code 36-3-201) and lasts 45 calendar days (Utah Constitution Art. VI, Sec. 16).
• Taylorsville is split among House Districts 31, 35, 36 and 37 and Senate Districts 12 and 16.

A typical week

• During the session (late Jan to early Mar): floor time and standing committees most of the day, Monday through Friday, plus some Saturdays, with appropriations subcommittees early in the session [INFERRED from the 45-day calendar; see the Legislature's session calendar].
• Interim (spring to fall): legislators are paid for "interim days (designated by the Legislative Management Committee)" and other approved committee, task force and commission meetings, plus up to 10 training days (Legislative Compensation Commission report). Interim days are usually held about once a month [INFERRED].
• Year-round: one representative told the Compensation Commission, "I consistently spend at least 20 hours per week during the interim responding to constituents, attending events and committee meetings, and working on legislation—without any compensation" (same report, p.47).

Time commitment

• Part-time, but heavy: essentially full-time for seven weeks of session, then about 10–20+ hours a week in the interim [INFERRED from the Commission's survey]. Most legislators keep their regular jobs.

Staff and budget

• No personal district staff. Legislators rely on the Legislature's shared nonpartisan offices (legislative research and general counsel, fiscal analyst, auditor general) and caucus staff [INFERRED from the Legislature's structure; survey comments in the Compensation Commission report].

Pay

• $301 a day for authorized legislative days: the 45-day session is paid as a $13,545 lump sum in January. Typical total is about $25k–30k a year (FY2025). Receipted lodging, meals and mileage are reimbursed, plus a phone allowance; leaders get a $3k–5k stipend. The rate rises to $316 a day on Jan 1, 2027 unless lawmakers reject it (Compensation Commission report; Transparent Utah).

Sources

• Utah Code 36-3-201
• Legislative Compensation Commission report, 2026
• Utah Legislature

Responsibilities and powers

• The House shares legislative power with the Senate, must originate all revenue bills, and has the sole power of impeachment (U.S. Constitution Art. I, Sec. 1, 2 and 7).
• Members serve two-year terms (Art. I, Sec. 2). Under the 2026 court-ordered map, Taylorsville is in Congressional District 1, an open seat on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot.

A typical week [INFERRED from the House calendar and office structure]

• In session: floor votes, committee hearings and markups, and meetings with constituents and groups in Washington, usually Monday or Tuesday evening through Thursday or Friday.
• District work periods: town halls, meetings with local governments, businesses and schools, and events in Utah.
• Casework: district and DC staff help constituents with Social Security, veterans, passports and immigration cases.

Time commitment

• Full-time, with weekly travel between Utah and Washington [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• Each member's office budget, the Members' Representational Allowance (MRA), has ranged from $1.85 million to $2.09 million since 2023 (average $1.93M; unchanged in 2026). It pays for staff, travel, mail and offices, with a limit of 18 permanent employees plus up to four part-time or temporary ones (CRS RL30064, Sept. 10, 2026).

Pay

• $174,000 a year, frozen since 2009; the 2026 raise was blocked by P.L. 119-37. The Speaker earns $223,500 and party leaders $193,400. Benefits are FEHB health coverage and FERS retirement (CRS 97-1011).

Sources

• U.S. Constitution Art. I
• CRS 97-1011; CRS RL30064 (Congressional Salaries and Allowances: In Brief)

Responsibilities and powers

• Shares legislative power with the House; gives "advice and consent" on treaties (two-thirds vote) and on nominations of judges, ambassadors and officers; tries impeachments (U.S. Constitution Art. I, Sec. 3; Art. II, Sec. 2).
• Six-year terms, staggered so that one-third of the Senate is elected every two years (Art. I, Sec. 3). Utah's senators are Mike Lee and John Curtis.

A typical week [INFERRED from the Senate calendar and office structure]

• Committee hearings, floor votes and confirmation votes in Washington during session weeks; meetings with Utah officials, businesses and groups; state work periods with travel across Utah; casework handled by state offices.

Time commitment

• Full-time [INFERRED].

Staff and budget

• Each senator's office account (SOPOEA) for FY2026 ranges from $4.30 million to $6.62 million (average $4.66M), scaled by state population and distance from Washington. The Senate does not set a staff-number limit like the House's [INFERRED] (CRS RL30064).

Pay

• $174,000 a year; Senate party leaders $193,400. Same benefits as House members (CRS 97-1011).

Sources

• U.S. Constitution Art. I, Sec. 3; Art. II, Sec. 2
• CRS 97-1011; CRS RL30064

Responsibilities and powers

• The Supreme Court has seven justices (Utah Code 78A-3-101, effective Jan 31, 2026).
• Exclusive appellate jurisdiction over Court of Appeals judgments, capital felony appeals, lawyer discipline, Judicial Conduct Commission orders, election and voting contests, cases on political district boundaries, and questions of state law certified by federal courts (78A-3-102).
• First term runs until the first general election more than three years after appointment; then a 10-year retention term (78A-3-101; 20A-12-201).

A typical week [INFERRED from the court's jurisdiction and appellate practice]

• Most of the week goes to reading briefs and records, working with law clerks on research, and drafting opinions. Oral arguments are held on scheduled court days, followed by a conference where the justices discuss and vote. The justices also handle court rulemaking and serve on the Judicial Council.

Time commitment

• Full-time.

Staff and budget

• Funded through the Judicial Council/State Court Administrator line items in the state budget (S.B. 8, 2026, item 175). Each justice works with law clerks and judicial assistants [INFERRED].

Pay

• About $247,250 for FY2027: 110% of $224,750 is $247,225, rounded to the nearest $50 under the S.B. 8 intent language [COMPUTED; confirm with the courts' published salary].

Responsibilities and powers

• The Court of Appeals "consists of nine judges"; after the first term, terms are six years (Utah Code 78A-4-102).
• Hears appeals from juvenile courts, most criminal appeals except first-degree and capital felonies, district-court reviews of local agency decisions, appeals of state agency adjudications (including hearings before local school boards or the State Board of Education), and cases the Supreme Court transfers to it (78A-4-103).

A typical week [INFERRED from jurisdiction and appellate practice]

• Like the Supreme Court: reading, panel arguments, conferences and opinion drafting, with a larger caseload per judge and many shorter decisions.

Time commitment

• Full-time.

Staff and budget

• Funded through the State Court Administrator line items in the state budget (S.B. 8, 2026, item 175). Judges work with law clerks and judicial assistants [INFERRED].

Pay

• $236,000 for FY2027 (105% of $224,750 = $235,987.50, rounded) [COMPUTED].

Responsibilities and powers

• "The district court has original jurisdiction in all matters civil and criminal," except where the constitution or statute says otherwise, and can issue writs to enforce its orders (Utah Code 78A-5-102).
• Also handles lawyer discipline under Supreme Court rules, foreign protective orders, and some parental-rights cases (same).
• The Third Judicial District has 33 district court judges (78A-1-103).

A typical week [INFERRED from jurisdiction and court calendars]

• Mornings are often law-and-motion or criminal calendars (arraignments, pleas, sentencings); trials and evidentiary hearings take blocks of days; afternoons and evenings go to written rulings. Judges rotate through warrant and on-call duty.

Time commitment

• Full-time.

Staff and budget

• Each judge works with a judicial assistant (clerk) team and shares law clerks [INFERRED]. Trial courts are funded through the State Court Administrator line items in the state budget.

Pay

• $224,750 for FY2027, set directly in S.B. 8 (2026).

Responsibilities and powers

• Original jurisdiction over felonies, misdemeanors, infractions and ordinance violations committed by a child, and in some cases by young adults for offenses committed before 18, plus child-welfare findings and magistrate functions when a minor is tried as an adult (Utah Code 78A-6-103).
• The Third Judicial District has nine juvenile court judges (78A-1-104).

A typical week [INFERRED from jurisdiction]

• Back-to-back short hearings: detention reviews, delinquency adjudications and dispositions, and recurring review hearings in abuse and neglect cases, often with the same families over months or years.

Time commitment

• Full-time.

Staff and budget

• Judicial assistants and court staff; juvenile probation officers are part of the court system [INFERRED].

Pay

• $224,750 for FY2027 (100% of the District Court salary under 67-8-2).

Responsibilities and powers

• Original jurisdiction over class B and C misdemeanors, ordinance violations and infractions committed in its territory by adults, and certain traffic and wildlife offenses by minors (Utah Code 78A-7-106).
• Appointed by the city or county executive with the council's consent (78A-7-202); six-year terms, then retention elections in the city or county (78A-7-203).
• Qualifications: U.S. citizen, at least 25, a Utah resident for three years; since May 3, 2023, new judges need a law degree (78A-7-201).
• Taylorsville note: Taylorsville's justice court was combined with West Jordan's municipal justice court, in effect by January 2026. No Taylorsville justice court judge is on the 2026 ballot. The Alta judge appears on every county ballot because Alta is a town (78A-7-203(2)(a)).

A typical week [INFERRED from jurisdiction]

• Many short hearings a day: arraignments, pleas, sentencing and reviews for traffic, DUI, retail theft and domestic cases; small-claims trials. Some courts hold evening sessions.

Time commitment

• Full-time or part-time. The State Court Administrator measures a part-time judge's caseload as a percentage of a full-time judge's caseload, and pay is prorated by that percentage (78A-7-206).

Staff and budget

• Court clerks employed by the city or county; budgets come from the city or county general fund [INFERRED].

Pay

• $182,210 for the Salt Lake County Justice Court judge (2026 SLCo salary schedule, from the guide's pay compilation). By law a full-time justice court judge earns 70%–90% of a District judge's salary (FY2027: $157,325–$202,275 [COMPUTED]) (78A-7-206).