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Show PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NUMBER EIGHT. Proposing an amendment to Article 13 of the Constitution of the State ot Utah, relating to revenue and taxation. taxa-tion. Be it resolved by the Legislature or the State of Utah, two-thirds of all members elected to each of the two houses concurring therein: Section 1. It is proposed to amend Article 13 of the -Constitution of the State of Utah, so that the same will read as follows: ' 1. The power of taxation shall never be surrendered, suspended, or contracted contract-ed away. All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property within with-in the territorial limits of the authority authori-ty levying the tax, and shall be levied and collected for public purposes only. 2. The Legislature shall provide by law for an annual tax sufficient, with other sources of revenue, to defray the estimated ordinary expenses of the State for each fiscal year. For the purpose pur-pose of paying the State debt, if any there be, the Legislature shall provide for levying a tax annually, sufficient to pay the annual interest and principal of such debt, within twenty years from the final passage of the law creating the debt. 3. There shall be exempt from taxation taxa-tion property of the United States, ol the State, counties) cities, towns, school districts, municipal corporations and public libraries, lots with the buildings thereon used exclusively for either religious re-ligious worship or charitable purposes, and places of burial not held or used for private or corporate benefit. Ditches, canals, reservoirs, pipes and flumes owned and used by Individual or corporations for irrigating lands owned by such individuals or corporations, corpora-tions, or the individual members thereof, there-of, shall not be separately taxed su long as they shall be owned and usee, exclusively for such purpose; provideQ, that mortgages upon real and personal property shall be exempt from taxation, and that the taxes of the indigent poor may be remitted or abated at such time and in such manner as may be provided by law, 4. The Legislature shall not impost taxes for the purpose of any county, city, town or other municipal corpora tion. butf may, by law. vest tn the corporate cor-porate authorities and collect taxes fo, all purposes of such corporation. 5. The surface ground of all mines and mining claims, both placer and rock in place, containing or bearing gold, silver, sil-ver, copper, lead, iron or other valu able metals, after purchase thereoi from the United States, shall be taxed at a value not greater than the priet paid the United States therefor, unless the surface ground, or some part thereof, there-of, of such mines or claim, Is used foi other than mining purposes, and has i, separate and independent value for such other purposes; in which case said surface sur-face ground, or any part thereof, so used for other than mining purposes, shall be taxed other than mining purposes pur-poses as provided by law: and all machinery ma-chinery used in mining, and all prop erty and surface improvements upon ol appurtenant to mines and minlnp claims, which have a value separate and independent of such mines or mining min-ing claims, shall be taxed as provided by law. All lands containing coal, granite, stone, marble, onyx, gas, oil, hydro-carbons, gypsum, or other valuable valu-able mineral deposits, other than those enumerated nbove in this section, after purchase thereof from the United States and all property and surface improvements improve-ments upon or aDDurtenant to such lands which have a value separate and independent of all such lands shall be taxed as provided by law. Tn addition to the assessment of the surface grounds, improvements and macnlnery of mines and mining claims, all mines and mining claims producing net proceeds pro-ceeds shall be taxed at a value not to exceed three times such net. proceeds. 6. An accurate statement of tiie receipts re-ceipts and expenditures of the public moneys shall be published annually in such 'manner as tile Legislature may provide. 7. The rate of taxation on property for State purposes shall never exceed eight mills on each dollar of valuation to be apportioned as follows. Not to exceed four and one-half mills on each dollar of valuation for general State purposes: not to exceed three mills on each dollar of valuation for distrlci school purposes: not to exceed one-hall' mill on each dollar of valuation for high school purposes; that part of the State tax appportioned to high school purposes shall constitute a fund to he called the "high school fund" and shall he nnnnrtloned to the cities and scliool districts maintaining high schools in the manner the Legislature may provide. pro-vide. And whenever the taxable property prop-erty within the State shall amount to Four Hundred Million Dollars, the rate shall not exceed five mills on each dollar dol-lar of valuation: unless a proposition to increase such rate, specifying the rate proposed and the time during which the same Rhall be levied, be tir-st submitted to a vote of such of Ihe qualified electors of the State as. in the year next preceding such election, shnlr have paid a property tax assessed to them within the State, and the majority majori-ty of those voting thereon shall vote in favor thereof, in such manner as may be provided by law. 8. The making of profit out of public pub-lic moneys, using the same for any purpose not authorized by law. by any public officer, shall be deemed a felony, land shall lie punished as provided bv law. but part of such punishment shall be disoualification to hold public office 9. No approprlat Ion shall be made, or anv expenditure authorized V,v the legislature, whereby the ex r-endit u re-of re-of the Ptrite, during any fiscal ye-ir 'shall exc-ed the totnl tax then provider! for by law. and applicable for surh appropriation ap-propriation or expenditure, nnl'-ss tl.f Legislature making such n pprop nation shall provide for levying a sufficient tax. not exceeding the rate allowed Ir Section 1 of this article. To pay slur, appropriation or expenditure within such fiscnl year. This provision shii: not apply to appropriations or expeuui- Iitures to suppress it: s-.-.rr'-ions, defend 'the State, or assist i.i defending the United States in Time of ivt. 10. Nothing in this constitution shell be construed to prevent the Legislature from providing a stamp tax, or a tax ' based on income, occupation, licenses or franchises. Sec. 2. The Secretary of State is hereby ordered to give this proposition proposi-tion to be published in at least one newspaper in every county in the Slate where a newspaper is printed and i published for two months preceding the i next general election. See. 3. This proposition shall be ! submitted to the electors of this State at the next general election for their approval or disapproval. All official ballots used at such election shall have printed or written thereon the words, "For the amendment of Aritcle 13 of The Constant ion. relating to taxation." "Yes," "No," and shall otherwise be prepared and submitted to the electors as may be otherwise provided by law, and said ballot shall be received, counted, count-ed, and canvassed, and returns thereon be made in the same manner and in all respects as in or may be provided by law in the case of election of State officers. Sec 4. If adopted by the electors of the State, this amendment shall take effect January 1, 1917. Approved March 20th. 1915. |