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Show Volume XV Issue VIII The Ogden Valley news Page April 1, 2008 2008 Legislative Wrap Up By Legislative Representative Gage Froerer, District 8 – Weber County The legislative session is now over and I wanted to take this time to say thank you for your support and ideas. Your encouragement and involvement this year has helped me to make good decisions for the people in the 8th District. Together we have invested record amounts in education and transportation, but at the same time remained disciplined with our finances. These wise decisions have placed us in a position to be named as the most fiscally well-managed state in the Union. I hope we take pride in this accomplishment. Many important issues were brought before the legislature. The following are a few of the significant highlights: Education This legislative session continued Utah’s trend of strong support for education funding, with $441 million in new school funding—58% of total available ongoing revenue went to fund pubic education. Of these funds, nearly $60 million went directly to teachers in the form of a $1,700 acrossthe-board raise. I was able to sponsor the House amendment that directed the money go directly to teachers salaries. Legislators protected public education by reserving $100 million for future public education needs. This will allow adequate funding in the future without an increase in taxes. Health System Reform HB 1 sets in motion the most comprehensive healthcare reform ever seen in Utah, and is based on consumer driven, free market principles. This bill includes a tax credit (cut) for those who are self-employed and pay their own health insurance. Also, we now allow CHIP enrollment year round. This will greatly facilitate the State’s efforts to reach those children who qualify, but aren’t currently enrolled. Veterans This year, veterans’ issues took center stage. The Legislature unanimously voted to appropriate $19 million for a Veterans’ nursing home to be built in Ogden. Currently, there is only one such facility in the state, and the waiting list is double its capacity. Legislators also approved a tax credit for Veterans receiving retired military pay. As a co-sponsor, and part of the Weber County delegation, I take great pride in making this happen for our local Vets. Also, I successfully passed HB 272. I ran this bill in order to make sure only those who received these significant honors are the people who receive the attendant benefits. This bill amended the Utah Criminal Code relating to the false representation of a military award. Property Tax Reform During this past session, I was also able to sponsor or co-sponsor several pieces of legislation dealing with property tax reform, which were met with various levels of support by the Senate and House leadership. HB 54 passed both Houses and is slated to be signed by the Governor by the end of March. This bill amends provisions in the Property Tax Act relating to the real property appraisal requirements for county assessors. It requires county assessors to conduct annual updates of property values utilizing a computer assisted mass appraisal system. HB 155 Residential Exemption, allowed a property tax exemption for owners who live on parcels between 2 to 5 acres. It was referred to interim study due to strong opposition from the League of Counties. HB 217 Modified Acquisition Value, was sent to be studied over the summer for any impacts on the State. If it passes next session, it will require a constitutional amendment. Amendments usually require 2 to 3 years, and a vote by the citizens of the State. I will continue to fight for property tax reform because I believe it is critically important to my constituents. Mortgage Fraud Utah is recognized as fifth in the Nation for the number of mortgage fraud cases. The 2007 legislature passed one of the most comprehensive mortgage fraud bills anywhere the United States. I was able to push this bill through the House and now it is law. In 2008, I co-sponsored and pushed through 2nd Substitute SB 1 4. This bill deals with loan fraud and gives the State greater control of appraiser trainees. This legislation is important because mortgage fraud hurts everyone through higher property taxes and decreased availability of affordable housing. I am proud to have sponsored legislation that will save our State, and its citizens, hundreds of thousands of dollars in mortgage fraud losses. WRAP-UP cont. on page 17 Guest Commentary Tax Reform Will Cause Woes as Economy Sours By Matthew Frandsen Many Utahns never felt the recent earthquake. It occurred when a legislative fiscal report warned that growth in income-tax revenues will drop nearly 50%, down a sizeable $149 million. The world is awash in bad debts; the financial newspapers have been describing this as an era of highly unstable trading markets on an international scale—not unlike the beginnings of the Great Depression. Personally, I find it necessary to keep abreast of this type of news because of my concern about our recent Utah income-tax reform and the long-term impact on taxpayers and public education. I think we’ve got significant problems that need to be addressed. (Visit www.utahtax.org) Problem 1: For decades we’ve been taxing nearly all workers at one rate—7%. Raising public education funding in this fashion has damaged our social fabric by pitting taxpayers against schoolteachers, and childless couples and retirees against families with children. Recent reforms still tax average workers at a single rate, 6.3%. A tax reduction, yes, but with a real cost to improving public education. Problem 2: A booming construction industry (based on loose mortgage credit) led our legislators to cut taxes. This tax cut of $200 million reduces our annual public school funding by 7%. Legislators now have only the bare minimum of funds for schools to keep pace with enrollment growth and inflation. Problem 3: When times were good, legislators cut taxes instead of saving the surpluses in our Education Rainy Day Fund. Now, in lean years, teachers and staff will be faced with funding insecurity. Problem 4: Approximately 100,000 taxpayers, many retired or families with moderate incomes, will actually pay more rather than less income tax next year because of the new reforms. Problem 5: Over the past four years, Utah’s wealthiest 1% reaped huge financial gains and naturally paid more income tax (thus creating surpluses). Our GOP leadership felt their pain and rushed in to lower the top tax rate. Yet decades have passed where the middle-class has wrongfully been moved into the upper tax rate without similar tax relief. I find it ironic that we have an incometax policy called a “5% single-rate” policy when, in fact, there are actually two rates, and the higher tax rate, 6.3%, applies to the average worker. Had legislators properly understood these problems, they could have used a multiple tax rate policy. This would have provided more substantial tax relief ($500 tax cut) to the moderate-income taxpayer and also protected our public school funds. The current single-rate income tax policy does neither. Matthew Frandsen, Huntsville Note: Matthew Frandsen, an engineer, ran in House District 8 in Weber County. He has also filed as the Democratic candidate for Utah’s Gubernatorial race. You can email Matt at <maserati_matt@yahoo.com> Request for Bid – Eden Park Maintenance PLEASE CONTACT DAVE FERGUSON AT 801 745-0618 FOR A STATEMENT OF WORK OUTLINING THE REQUIREMENTS TO MAINTAIN EDEN PARK FOR THE SUMMER OF 2008. SEALED BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED ON APRIL 9 AT 7:00 P.M. AT THE EDEN BOWERY WHERE THEY WILL BE OPENED WITH WORK AWARDED TO THE LOWEST BIDDER. THE PARK IS ALSO ACCEPTING NAMES OF THOSE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE EDEN PARK COMMITTEE. IF INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT DAVE FERGUSON AT 801 745-0618. PLEASE NOTE THE DATE HAS CHANGED! Spring Kick-off Weekend at Wolf Mountain Saturday April, 5th 2008 As a special thanks for a wonderful season, break out the sunscreen, Hawaiian shirt and join us for a weekend of fun, prizes and tropical music! Here we grow again . . . - We’ve doubled our speed Parrot Head S C H E D U L E 8:00 am - 9:00 pm - Rail Jam Registration 10:00 - 1:00 pm - Rail Jam* 11:00 am - 2:00 pm - Barbeque and Music 11:00 am - 1:00 pm - Soap Box registration 1:00 pm - Hula Contest* 1:00 pm - Beach Volley Ball* (3 man teams) 3:00 pm - Family Fun Race 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Soap Box Derby competition 5:00 pm - awards ceremony and Best costume contest 5:00 pm - Closed for the Season CELEBRATE ! Monday * free events We will also be hosting our annual Soapbox Derby this weekend! Go digging in your garage to create the fastest, craziest, creative and most unusual form of transportation to get down the hill at Wolf Mountain. Just about anything goes. Push, pull, ride, slide, or drag your way to prizes, trophies, and bragging rights!! (contraption must include, skis, snowboard or ski poles) Soap Box Derby Entry Fee: $25 per family or business $15 for individual entry registration: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm derby: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm for more info call: 745-3511 More inforMation at www.wolfMountaineden.coM |