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Show Volume XIV Issue XXII The Ogden Valley news Page 17 September 1, 2007 Results of the 2nd Annual Ogden Valley Plein Air Competition The 2nd Annual Plein Air Competition and Silent Auction was a great success for local professional and non-professional artists alike. Artists painted in Plein Air, a French expression for the “open air.” Twenty-five gifted artists participated non-professional categories. An awards ceremony took place at 6:00 p.m. to honor and announce the Plein Air winners, and distribute more than $3,500 in cash prizes. The first place award in the professional category was given to Steven It’s Time to Register to Vote! If you are not yet registered to vote, you can do so by going to the Weber County Building located at 2380 Washington Blvd. in Ogden. The last day to register in person is October 23. You can also mail in the registration form found in the front of the phone book. The registration form must be mailed by October 8 to be able to participate in this November’s election. The last day to request absentee voter ballots is November 2. To request an absentee voter ballot, call the Weber County Election Office at 399-8034. Party #1—September 11 Chairman-Quentin Smelzer Secretary-Lorraine Hedges There will NOT be any satellite registration done this year. This year’s elections will be run by Weber County because of the proposed ¼ cent tax increase and the proposed school voucher issues on the ballots. There is also new legislation for the elections that requires a two week early voting period. Watch for more information on this issue. Please contact Weber County Elections Office at 399-7411 with any election or voting questions, or call Gail Ahlstrom at 745-1218. Huntsville Town to Host Nominating Conventions Huntsville Town will hold their Nominating Conventions for both “Our Town” and “Party #1” at 7:00 p.m. at the Huntsville Town Hall located at 7309 E. 200 S. Please plan to attend one of the convenOur Town—September 13 Chairman-Scott Richardson Secretary-John Harris tions and support your neighbors and town. There are three positions open. Two, fouryear terms for Council Member, and one, two-year term for Council Member. Elected Officials Address Record Property Tax Hikes Contributed by Allen Christensen & Gage Froerer Pictured front row left to right: Robert McKay, Jami Willson, Kris Wilkerson, Clinton Whiting, Bonnie Frucci. Back row: Ryan Skidmore, Gregg Batt, Rosemary Waite, Benton Patten, Roberta Glidden, George Handrahan, Stephen Hedgepeth, Steven Heward, Doug Braithwaite, Mary Jane Grow. in this extraordinary event, canvassing various scenes throughout Ogden Valley. Participants registered early Saturday morning and were off to find the perfect setting for their chosen Plein Air pieces. This event was truly exceptional, for the artists forever captured moments in time, here in beautiful Ogden Valley. Kris Wilkerson of Wilkerson Fine Art & Consulting sponsored this 2nd annual event, and was delighted by the turnout of artists. “The caliber of the artists participating and quality of the artwork submitted was exciting to see. The pieces really captured the essence of the valley and the ever changing weather experienced on Saturday.” The Plein Air judging began at 4:30 p.m., in Huntsville as part of the 13th annual Balloon Festival. David Koch, a member of the Plein Air Painters of Utah, judged this event. David is well known throughout the country and was recently selected for a large commission for the Utah State Capitol Murals. He is a full-time painter with a uniquely loose and fluid painting style. As an outstanding Plein Air painter, with a fine sense of detail, all those involved in the event were honored to have David as their judge for this competition. David’s assessment and judgment of the pieces with emphasis on three primary categories: color, shape, and edges. He had quite a burden, for each piece provided a unique depiction of Ogden Valley. After much time and consideration, David ranked artwork in both professional and Heward of Sandy, Utah. Steven’s 1st place piece, entitled “Huntsville Pond,” reflected a myriad of soft colors and tones with a bold water’s edge. “Color,” according to David Koch was what instantly commanded his attention and attracted him to the piece. Other Plein Air winners for the professional category were Doug Braithwaite of Sunset in 2nd place, and G. Handrahan of Kaysville in 3rd place. Roberta Glidden and Ryan Skidmore took Honorable Mentions. In the non-professional category, winners were Mary Grow of Provo in 1st place for a fine watercolor of the Eden Marina, Jayme Wilson of Liberty in 2nd place, and Karen Pike of West Valley in 3rd. The Silent Auction began at 4:30 p.m. with a mountain thunderstorm and cloudburst, and went on throughout ever brightening weather until 7:00 p.m. Valley citizens and festival goers browsed and admired the Plein Air art painted from their very own surroundings. Several pieces from the Plein Air Competition were auctioned off to appreciative patrons. In case you couldn’t make it to or got rained out of the Silent Auction, you are in luck. Pieces from the Silent Auction, as well as other Ogden Valley themed art, can be viewed and purchased in the current Plein Air exhibit located at Wolf Creek Clubhouse gallery space. Thank you to all the artists who participated in this event. Each personal perspective and input made this event possible and a wonderfully enriching experience. Utah property owners are feeling the bite from one of the largest tax increases in history. This coming at a time when our economy is booming and state taxes are undergoing record decreases. Why? Utah has recently led the nation in home price appreciation. Between the first quarter of 2006 and the first quarter of 2007, there was a 17 percent increase in home price appreciation. Currently, state law requires that if property taxes in a county are to increase beyond what inflation and growth account for, then a public meeting must be announced and held, commonly referred to as Truth in Taxation hearings. Traditionally, these notices go unheeded and meetings go largely unattended. Does it really do any good to attend or is the meeting just a formality with a foregone conclusion? This is your opportunity to communicate with your elected officials and let them know the tax dollars you pay are very important to you and your family. Every property owner should carefully review their property valuation tax notice that was sent out in July. This will show the projected increase specific to your property as opposed to those general notices that just show the average sales price of a home in your county. Many of us in Northern Utah have seen large tax increases. Home price appreciation is good and we all like it when its time to sell, but the added value does us little good in the meantime. The increase is a result of a major increase in assessed value without a corresponding decrease in the tax rate. There will always be more places to spend the tax dollars than there are dollars to spend, but does that make it right, and can it continue especially for those on fixed and lower incomes? Does it matter how much we need something if we as citizens can not pay for it? We see the solution to the dilemma as three fold. First, become involved and attend your local truth in taxation hearings or the public meetings that are being held to discuss property tax issues. Hold your public officials “feet to BALLOON FESTIVAL cont. on page 9 TAX SOLUTIONS cont. from page 1 in the Plein Air competition, which attendance almost doubled. “We look forward to growing this aspect of the Festival each year, as we have heard from all the artists that this is such a unique forum for them to express themselves. Although our art auction was unable to be completed due to Saturday’s rains, we will be continuing with an online auction at www.ogdenvalleymagazine.com for the next few weeks, which will further exposure for the artists.” Festival Chairman Larry McBride concluded the weekend with a big smile on his face after Sunday morning’s picture perfect launch, commenting “This Valley never ceases to amaze me; the spirit of the volunteers, the talent of the musicians and artists, and the beauty of the balloons and artwork were just unbelievable. We locals should consider ourselves very blessed to live in such an amazing place.” The dates for the 2008 Ogden Valley Balloon Festival have been set for August 15 – 17, 2008. rebate because they had made an error on their budget projections; their projections were inflated. That left them with excess tax dollars that they are now able to refund. We can’t do that in Weber County because our budget projections were fairly accurate; there’s no ‘extra’ money to give back.” Zogmaister also stated, “We are still working on a package to take to the Utah Legislature this fall, which will make recommendations for providing tax relief for Utah property owners. We Photo courtesy of Kevin Mikkelsen. INTRODUCTORY SPANISH For Adults & Children Give yourself or your child the advantage of learning Spanish the fun and easy way from Mexico native and Eden resident Elizabeth Benjamin Mornings and Evenings Classes Now registering ~ Space limited! Call for information 745-1056 Garden & Landscape Design Project Management www.theardentgardener.net the fire” and let them know how you feel about the use of your tax dollars and encourage their support for legislation that will reduce the tax burden on our homes and land. We are working with local County Officials and the State Tax Commission to verify the accuracy of current assessed values and are asking that any windfall in tax revenue be rebated to the public. Secondly, examine your own expectations of these same officials. Often they are just struggling to keep up with the demands of their constituents. The costs continue to rise for public schools, police and fire protection, planning, parks and recreation, roads, water, and all the other departments. Do we expect more than we’re willing to pay? The answer, of course, is somewhere in the middle. Just as with your family budget, government must live within its means. We all must control our spending while doing what we reasonably can to increase our sources of income. Spending reform must go hand in hand with any proposed tax reform policy. Thirdly, as lawmakers, we must do our part to maintain and promote equitable tax laws. The State Legislature recognizes the importance of good tax policy including the circuit breaker tax laws for the lower income and elderly. Proper oversight and regulation of the various taxing entities is another. Is it time for a major change or shift in our existing property tax laws? Perhaps, but don’t forget there could be the accompanying problems like a change to the State Constitution. Should the State shift a portion of the property tax burden to other revenue sources like sales tax? Is it time to cap the rate of increase allowed in property tax valuations? We will, with your help, continue to find the best balance for the times. As always, welcome responsible suggestions from those we represent. Note: Senator Allen Christensen, RNorth Ogden, represents portions of Weber, Morgan, and Summit Counties. Representative Gage Froerer, R-Huntsville, represents a portion of Weber County. feel we will have some success with this because rising property valuations are not just a problem for Weber County residents; people all over the state are experiencing the same type of issues. One recommendation we are looking at is for the state’s emergency relief clause be adjusted for people on limited incomes. The income level for those who qualify for relief needs to be raised. It hasn’t been adjusted for quite awhile. “For now, we are still meeting and visiting with people daily, and hope that individuals will appeal their valuations if they feel they are inflated.” |