Provo City Mayor Michelle Kaufusi gave her State of the City address on Jan. 29 at the Covey Center where she reflected on this past year and made announcements for changes and goals coming this year.
Mayor Kaufusi said she accomplished all of her big six goals for 2024:
- Construction of the Regional Sports Complex
- Redevelopment of Fire Station 21, former city hall
- Airport terminal expansion — including international access
- Beginning development of a west Provo grocery store (Walmart)
- Water treatment plant/aquifer recharge
- Website redesign
“How are we accomplishing all this?” Kaufusi said. “When I came into service, I quickly recognized that there were two main ways to find funds for Provo’s priorities: include a property tax increase in my proposed annual budget, or build partnerships. I didn’t like option one, so I’ve never done it. Option two sounded great to me, and my team and I have worked our hearts out exploring all external funding possibilities.”
From 1998 to 2017, Provo received an average of $5.9 million dollars in outside funding each year. That number increased to $22.2 million dollars from 2018-2024 since Kaufusi became mayor, she said.
Kaufusi announced the city received funding from the county tourism tax to help pay for a new terminal at the Provo Airport that will include 10 new gates. The tourism tax advisory board took a vote the day of Kaufusi’s speech and committed $78 million to the project.
“How’s that for partnerships?” Kaufusi said.
The airport announcement came only months after American Airlines became Provo’s first global carrier. Kaufusi said the airport's tagline has since become, “anywhere you want to go, fly Provo.”
Tana Hoover serves on the neighborhood executive board for the Provo South neighborhood and said she thought Kaufusi’s speech was lovely.
“A lot of the things that stick out for me are our airport. Obviously, that’s huge,” Hoover said. “I’d love to see some more public transportation going to and from there and improving that.”
Hoover was also excited to hear about the Olympic events that will be held in Provo for the 2034 Olympics.
Noelle Pikus-Pace is a skeleton racer from Orem and won a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. She was invited to speak on the topic of welcoming at the event.
“Hosting the games again more than three decades after the unforgettable 2002 Olympics is a testament to Provo’s enduring legacy as a world class destination for winter sports and global connection,” Pikus-Pace said. “The 2034 games are an opportunity for us to come together, to share our culture and to welcome the world.”
Kaufusi focused on the four pillars of Provo — Welcoming, Safe and Sound, Economically Vibrant and Forward-Looking — in her speech.
The 'Safe and Sound' pillar was presented with a video honoring and thanking the helpers of Provo.
In light of the California wildfires, Provo firefighters have been undergoing intensive training to prepare for any emergencies, along with testing all of the fire hydrants in Provo.
Brandon Fugal is the owner of Skinwalker Ranch, chairman of Colliers International and a prominent businessman and real estate developer in the Intermountain West. He spoke of the recent development of Freedom Commons, saying it is one of the most dynamic redevelopment projects in the state.
“With class A office space, hospitality, retail restaurants and services, Freedom Commons has brought new vibrancy to downtown and economic development success that other cities are watching and paying attention to in order to model their own communities for the future,” Fugal said.
Provo residents should get ready to welcome more headquarters downtown as they get ready to announce several new tech companies as part of this project, Fugal said.
“Provo is the central business district of Utah County. It is the center of gravity for economic development, for business,” Fugal said. “It is no coincidence that companies like Qualtrics, who have transformed the technology landscape, Vivint, Nu Skin and countless others have chosen this location to grow their business and send a message to the rest of the country that we are a model of not only economic development, but excellence.”
The 'Forward-Looking' pillar of Provo was presented with an announcement of an updated and more modern website, along with a brand new city app that attendees were invited to download with Mayor Kaufusi for the first time.
“Our city employees have worked tirelessly for more than a year to create a dynamic and user-friendly platform that reflects the vibrant spirit of our community,” Kaufusi said.
Four Provo citizens were given an award at the event, each recognized for a different Provo Pillar.
- Analane Powel was recognized for the 'Welcoming' pillar with her “angel gowns” she makes for stillborn, miscarried and preemie babies.
- Colonel Amos Wright was recognized for the 'Safe and Sound' pillar for his service as an army officer in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He also served on staff at the Pentagon. He is now 100 years old.
- Blake Roney was recognized for the 'Economically Vibrant' pillar for founding Nu Skin and purchasing the Shops at the Riverwoods.
- Don Jarvis was recognized for the 'Forward-Looking' pillar for dedicating himself to educating people and researching clean air after retiring from being a professor at Brigham Young University.
“It was great to see the recognition of members of the community,” Powel said.
She was also excited about a number of other announcements that were made at the event.
“it’s excellent to see they’re thinking about the future while all the other towns around here are just exploding like crazy,” she said. “There's a plan behind it here and that’s fabulous.”
Mayor Kaufusi acknowledged President C. Shane Reese, the new medical school and BYU joining the Big 12 in her speech. The Young Ambassadors were also invited to perform at the event.
“I remind them all the time, and they remind me,” she said. “‘You are the Mayor of Cougar Town,’ and I am.”