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Show THE SALT LAKE TIMES FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1973 Page Eight i Senator Moss Pleased With Oil Shale News Utah Revenues Top Expenditures For Fourth Consecutive Year For the fourth consecutive year state revenues in Utah have exceeded expenditures. According to an analysis of state finances just completed by Utah Founda-toithe private tax research organization, state revenues in the state totaled $634 million compared with expenditures of $574 million for the fiscal year ended n, June 30, 1973. The study emphasized that the $60 million in excess funds collected last year does not necessarily represent an addition to surplus since some of the funds were committed to projects for which expenditures were not actually made in fiscal 1973. As an example, the general fund alone listed unexpended appropriations of $19.48 million for building .projects and $3.0 million for the Provo Jordan Parkway authority at the end of the 1973 fiscal year. Hie excess of revenues over expenditures during the past 4 years represents a reversal of the situation that existed in the 1960 decade when expenditures in Utah consistently were great- er than revenue collections. According to the Foundation study the factors accounting for this condition during the 1960s included 1) the large amount of capital outlay financed during this period from borrowed funds, 2) the consolidation of. accounting funds which made more money other than new revenue available for expenditure purposes, and 3) the spending of balances and surpluses accumulated in earlier years. During the past several years, however Utah has been repaying the debt incurred in earlier periods and has been, accumulating new balances and surpluses. State revenues in Utah rose by $67.1 million or 12 per cent last year. Increased federal aid, continued inflation, and economic growth were the major elements in this strong revenue gain. No increase was made in any of the Utah tax rates. In fact, the Foundation notes that the state property tax levy was reduced from 7.2 mills to 4.6 mills last year. A further reduction to 1.6 mills was made this year. Complete elimination of the state levy is scheduled for 1974. ; : The major revenue gains were recorded by the sales tax (up $18.2 million), the individual income tax (up $14.5 million) and the corporate income tax (up $16.9 million). Nearly $11.7 million of the increase in the corporate income tax revenues, however, was a one time collection of taxes for prior years resulting from a court decision. In addition to the major gains Emblem Design Contest1 in Utah A contest is open to all residents of Utah for an emblem design for Utahs observance of our national bicentenial, 1776. Three cash awards will be made: $250, $150 and $100. Artists should consider Utah's heritage and evelopment in the designs as well as the national themes of Heritage, Festaival, and Horizons. A panel of five judges will select the three winning entries. Entries must be postmarked no later than midnight Dec. 31, 1973. Forms are available through the office of the Utah American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, State Capitol Room 503, Salt Lake City 84114. Better late than never, was the reaction of Senator Frank E. Moss to announcement that the Interior Department has approved oil shale leases in western states. Those of us from the western states who have been urging this action for years, of course, delighted that Interior has finally moved. But I wonder if our situation today might not be better regarding the energy crisis if the Interior Department had not dragged its feet for so long. The Senator repeated a statement he made during his shale seminar in Vernal last September. We are perhaps at a threshold of a new industry for the Basin and a strong assist to the rest of the country in meeting our energy needs. A proposed prototype oil shale leasing program in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming would create 13,000 new jobs and $190 million annually in tax revenue, but could result in significant environmental consequences. Senator Moss said he wants to be sure the water supplies are adequate and problems such as air pollution and restoration of the land are understood by all and efforts made to resolve them quickly so that construction of a production plant can begin. But, Moss, said he is confident acceptable solutions will come from the prototype development. last year. This was offfset some what by reductions in federal aid for highway purposes. The overall gain in federal aid to the state last year was $8.4 million. On the expenditure side, education continues as the number one item of expenditure in Utah according to the Foundation's analysis. During fiscal 1973 state expenditures for education came to $254 million or 44.2 per cent of all state spending. Included in this state education expenditure total are $92 million for higher education, $144 million for state aid to local school districts and $18 million for other educational purposes.. These expenditure figures for education did not include amounts raised by the local school districts. When all funds are included, state and local expenditures for education exceeded $360 million last year. Foundation analysts warn that comparisons of total expenditure and revenue figures from year to year are not always meaningful because of carry over in recording and reporting procedure in state cash accounting method. For this reason, the Foundation analysis was directed primarily to the proportion of total state financing represented by respec tive expenditure functions or income sources, in tax collections, Utah received The candle trimmer in a fac$12.9 million in federal revenue tory brags he has an easy job sharing funds for the first time just works on wick ends. . S.L. Voting Machine Committee Makes Its Choice on a Split Vote Salt Lake County Clerk W. Sterling Evans, chairman of the Salt Lake County Voting Machine Advisory Committee, said this week that the committee voted to recommend the Gyrex Voting Machine to the Salt Lake County Commission. The recommendation, though, came on a split vote of the members of the advisory committee. The three The split vote was member minority of the committee voted in favor of the Voto-matisystem. A punch card device; this product was used in Bountiful in its recent election as a trial for the voting machine itself. The County Clerk said he would present both the majority and the minority reports to the County Commission this week for their decision. Committee members favoring the Gyrex system were John Klas, state Democratic chairman; Kent Shearer, former state Republican chairman; Jack Christensen, executive director of the Utah Association of the Counties and Bennie Schmiett, director of the Utah League of Cities and Towns. Those opposing the Gyrex system were W. Sterling Evans, county clerk; Harold Schindler, director for the Utah Election Service and Dexter Ellis, Deseret News Political Editor. Many otf" r systems were considered, in' ling the Votemark, which is manufactured in Utah. Also considered but eliminated early in the consideration were two makes of the tradiional voting machines. The committee voted to not consider any device which did not afford an audit trial for the possibility of recounting individual ballots in a contested election race. Bids by the Gyrex Corporation ranged from $1,265,460 to $2.- 4-- 3. c . lever-act- uated Envionmental Leaders, Interior Dept. Briefed on Electric Plant Progress in finding an acceptable site for a coal fired electrical generating station in the vicinity of Southern Utah's Plateau was reported this week to environmental leaders and members of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Meeting in Interior Department offices, the group was told of the most recent studies to identify potential new sites in Southern Utah which would locate the generating facility farther from Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Recreational area. Once all environmental approvals have been obtained, the $1.5 billion 3000 megawatt generating facility could be built and in operation within five years. If this coal is not used for electrical generation, the most likely alternate fuel is oil from the U.S. reserves or imported frem foreign nations. This 3000 megawatts of generation would require about 33 million barrels of oil annually, more than presently consumed for all purposes in the state of Utah. Four southwesern utilities are relying on the Southern Utah Project to provide a big source of additional electric power required by the 1980s. They are the Arizona Public Service, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Salt River Project and the Southern California Edison. The four participants anticipate an increased electricity consumer demand in the next ten years of more than 14,000 megawatts. The 3,000 megawatts to be generated at Kaiparowits will supply about 20 per cent of the need, David J. Fogarty, vice president in charge of system development for Edison, pointed out to those assembled for the briefing. The proposed coal fired electric facility in southern Utah is not a new project. It had its inception more than ten years ago when test drilling along the Kai-parod- its Plateau indicated a large deposit of recoverable low sulphur coal. A number of sites in the area have been suggested over the years. The time has come when the best site should be weighed in the light of environment considerations, economic feasibility, and vital fuel availability. Southern California Edison and the three other utilities last June had submitted a detailed environmental report to the Department of the Interior recommending Nipple Bench as the desired site. When Interior officials suggested that Nipple Bench was too close to the Glen Canyon Recreational Area, additional and even more restrictive guidelines were established and the new, more detailed siting study was initiated. The selection process including map interpretation, helicopter reconnaissance, ground level investigation and matrix analysis, was conducted to ascertain environmentally acceptable power plant locations. Completed early in November, the study identifies four candidate sites, ranging from four to 17 miles farther from Lake Powell than the Nipple Bench site. Fuel for the plant will be mined underground at nearby sites; strip or surface mining is not contemplated. Construction and operation of the proposed station will produce economic, social and benefits which the participants believe will outweigh any environmental impact. However, we recognize the level of impact upon the environment must be minimized, and we are committed to design, construct and operate the plant accordingly, he said. Following final site selection, applications for construction and right of way at the new site will then be subject to environmental impact studies, public hearings and policy reviews. two-volu- . envi-ronement- al Buy County Land for Future (Continued from page 1) This was more than twice the $6700 per acre paid for the same land in a private transaction less than a year ago. Com. Dunn said the county attempt to nail down the land it needs for parks and other developments now to avoid the prices later. costs on the borrowed Interest W. Clerk Evans County Sterling money through the county bond569,925, depending on the num- ing also would be staggering, ber of ballot processors furnished say fiscal analysts. Hansen esti- and whether on line computer equipment is included. Addition of the latter equipment would also permit the county to auto- School Budgets for 74 mate its registration system, ac- Reaches $124 Million cording to the manufacturer. It will take $124.6 million to The central feature of the Gy finance Utah Sysetm of Higher rex System is a 6,000 pound Education during the coming ballot reader which counts tra- 1974-7- 5 fiscal year, the Board ditional ballots printed on spe- of Higher Education determined cial paper and marked by the this week. voter with fluorescent ink. In that budget the It was calculated that Salt Board adopting will now turn to Governor Lake County would need two or Calvin L. Rampton and the 1974 three of these readers. Legislative Budget Session to The Gyrex system reads bal- fund its recommendation. Such lots at a 600 per minute rate a budget would require $81.33 produces the results on cither million in state appropriations. a punched card, magnetic tape, Tuitions and other collections or in several other forms as defrom the institutions in the Utah sired. System account for the remaining $43.5 million needed to fund the Love is like an onion; we taste budget. it with delight, but when its The Boards budget is $15.2 gone we wonder whatever made million more than, the $109.4 us bite! million budgeted for the current ex-horbit- ant mated that $25 million in bonds to be redeemed over 20 years can cost over $15 million in interest. Comm. Dunn said the county is not anywhere near attempting to submit any bond election to the vote rs. However, officials must seriously consider obtaining through bonding possibly $25 million for land purchases and probably an addition $25 million to develop it over the years. fiscal year. According to Dr. G. Homer Durham, Utah Commission of Higher Education, inflationary cost increases are responsible for the bulk of the increase. Corrective allowances for contract employees on the campuses to begin bringing them to partity with other state classified employees, and adequately funding the programs for afternoon and evening students also make up significant parts of the budget increase. By far, however, cost increases due to inflation are responsible for most of the requested increases, said Dr. Durham. He went on to explain that inflation greatly affects fixed cost totals. For example, increased heating oil and gas costs pushed up current expense and travel budgets 11 and 10 per cent |