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Show 1 I ? 0 . i 04110 J-W SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1976 Salt Lake Legal Secretary Named Default Might Occur If DeNotices Tax in Mailing lay National Chairman Rampton Disagrees With Budget Ceiling Proposal Governor Calvin L. Rampton this week called the proposed law placing a ceiling on the state budget the most dangerous proposition put on the ballot since statehood." Ramptons comment on the initiative-proposed Budgetary Procedures Act Ceiling to be voted on Nov. 2 was made before a luncheon sponsored by the Salt Lake Board of Realtors. Attracting almost 800 diners. Gov. Rampton was the featured speaker at the luncheon. The real estate brokers and salesmen later broke into smaller groups conforming to State Senate district bound-rie- s to discuss legislative matters. The governor cautioned the audience to inform themselves on the "terribly , complex" ballot propositions which, on the face, have salutary titles, but ae not all that they appear in some cases. The budgetary initiative would ceiling on the state place a five-ye- r budget at its present level and phase out completely over that period the use of federal aid. The governor warned, the initiative doesn't do what it purports to do, lower taxes. It wont, if enacted, keep taxes down, but simply have the state and local governments' pick up the tax load now eased by federal money. The initiative-propose- d recall election law "has some problems, said Rampton, adding that he would like to see a "reasonable law." That proposal would permit the holding of special elections to recall Arthur L. Monson, County Treasurer said, loss of a proposed any public officer, elected or appointed, for any reason. A recall election for a state official could be called by submitting petitions signed by 10 percent of the registered voters who cast ballots for the subject officeholder in the last election. The percentage would be 12 percent for county officers and .15 percent for local officers. The other initiative ballot proposal is to prohibit the State Board of Health from adding fluroides and other medications to any public water supply and to require a local vote pursuant to initiative petition before any fluoridation. Chairman of the state legislation committee for the Utah Association of Realtors, Darrell Bushnell, outlined recommendations for a half dozen pieces of legislation to be proposed to the next legislative session in January. They include tightening' real estate licensing laws, clarifying hearing procedures, adding for actions, grounds disciplinary and setting minimum education requirements for licensing and upgrading the role of the existing real estate board examiners into a board of commissioners more directly responsible to the State Department of Business Regulation. The amateur or citizen-style- d leglegislative system of part-tim- e to Utahs islators is "well-suite- d need, said Gov. Rampton. He added he wouldnt like to see a e or professional state 1.58 mill levy tax increase won't cause Salt Lake Couty to default on payments of its tax anticipation notes. But, Monson said default might occur if lawsuits before the Utah Supreme Court cause a delay in the mailing of tax notices. Such a delay could mean the tax collections wouldn't be completed in time for the Dec. 31 deadline for payment of the notes, added Monson. I think I was misunderstood when I was talking about default," said Monson. The county will have to scratch for the money but will be able to meet the note debt of $19 million without the tax increase to raise $1.9 million. However, the county will still face a deficit in its budget without the increase, added Mrs. Kaye Aoki Mrs. Kaye Aoki, PLS, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was appointed Continuing Legal Education Chairman of the National Association of Legal Secretaries (International) during its recent Board of Directors meeting in Denver, Colorado. Over 23,000 members from all parts of the United States, Canada, and several other foreign countries belong to the national association, which strives to upgrade the knowledge of its members through continuing legal education. As national chairman, Mrs. Aoki will disseminate information, upon request, with a view to assisting members to become better legal . full-tim- secretaries. She will also be areas. Kennecott attorney James B. Lee and Salt Lake City Atty. Roger Cutler this week argued that the tax increase was illegal for two reasons: It came after the statutory deadline of August 11. To raise the general fund levy re- sponsible for the planning of two national legal education seminars next spring. The first is scheduled to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, in February of 1977, and the second will be held in Indianapolis, flies in the face of the Supreme Indiana, in March of 1977. Court order banning taxation of Mrs. Aoki has served as Utah city residents for unincorporated National Director and as Scholarservices. Chairman of the .National Cutler argued, The only re- ship Association of Legal Secretaries sponse the county has had to the (International) during previous courts order is to levy city resiand was certified by that years dents another mill and a half. association as a Professional Legal Arguing along, the same lines, Secretary in 1972. She is a past Lee said that the tax increase, of the Salt Lake Legal which Kennecott estimates will cost president Secretaries Association, is a memit another $300,000 a year in taxes, ber of the Utah State Bar Legal flagrantly violates the Supreme Assistants Committee, and is emCourt order. Phil L. Hansen, former Assistant ployed by General of Utah. Gerald Kinghorn, Attorney County Attorney, said the issue of when the levy was approved is moot because the Utah Constitution prohibits governments from operating in the red. Kinghorn explained. The mill levy is needed to help plug a deficit of $3 million left after the service Budget officer for the Utah Dividistricts were defeated. Commis- sion of Family Services, Wayne J. sioners had planned on revenue Russell, was named director of the from those districts when they set State Liquor Control Commission Forty-six-yeold the general fund levy lower than, this week. will of resident a Russell, Roy, originally planned. The court took the matter under begin his new assignment immediadvisement, after hearing argu- ately. Russell will replace Dennis R. ments. Although the focus was on the legality of the tax increase, Kellen, who has been acting direcboth sides took the opportunity to tor since the new commission took office air once again the entire double part-tim- e 1. Last taxation issue. July County Tax Boost Issue To Be Studied By The Courts This week the Utah Supreme Court took under advisement legal arguments that a recent Salt Lake County property tax increase of 1.58 mills is illegal. The action came after a petition for extraordinary relief was filed by Salt Lake City, the Utah Taxpayers Association, Kennecott Copper Corp., and the Utah Farm Bureau, asking for a halt to the tax. The tax was levied by the county Sept. 2, about three weeks after the statutory deadline for setting all mill levies in the county. Commissioners in the county set the to raise $1.9 million extra levy because of the rejection of two special service districts to pay for services provided to residents of unincorporated areas of the county. The Supreme Court, in May, ruled that the county must cease using general fund dollars, into which all city residents pay taxes, for services to unincorporated, Ew A j" 1 1P27 J Cl TV sV oJ . Wayne Russell New Liquor Commissioner ar five-membe- r, Monson. Monson saiid, "What I'm worried about is that the court will sit on the question of whether the tax is legal, and cause a delay in the mailing of tax notices, or else make us recall the notices once they've s V..I Arthur L. Monson Then we would be in default, because we wouldnt have the money to pay the debt." William E. Dunn, County Commissioner, confirmed that county attorneys talked of default without been mailed out. the tax increase during a closed The treasurer said, in that case, door meeting last week with Salt tax collections might run beyond Lake City officials to discuss long the Dec. 31 deadline for paying the range solutions to the double taxadebt on the notes. Monson added, tion issue. TODAYS EDITORIAL Sunspots And GB Radios Will increased activity of sunspots knock out citizens band radio reception for several years? Will First Mamas, Peanuts, Snoopies, Cherokees, Dragon Ladies, Smokies, and 15 million other CB-er- s find their signals bouncing off the ionosphere like so many ping pong balls, and have to return to the lonely 4 isolation of the (I hear you) days? Thats what some people have been predicting, but a University of Chicago astrophysicist who has been studying the activity of the sun for decades doesnt think so. Eugene Parker, Chairman of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University, suggests that recent speculation that CB radios might be wiped out for several years is grossly exaggerated. The sunspots are expected to reach their maxima or peak activity beginning about 1979. I see no reason for people to get excited about solar activity, Parker says. Weve had it for millions of years. Its like worrying about the full moon or something." During years when sunspots are most numerous magnetic storms are most numerous on pre-10-- earth. But weve been through solar maxima (peak sunspot activity) before when we had many shortwave radios, if not CBs, Parker says, and there was (continued on page 2) |