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Show i ES)DS.Eomiinifl57 ! mi 4.82 Ms .4 By GARY R. BLODGETT j FARMINGTON - Davis County Commission 1 increased its 1978 mill levy by J 4.62 mills following a public U hearing Tuesday afternoon. THE TOTAL mill levy was jumped from 11.83 to 16.45 mills, but only the general 2 fund and capital t improvement funds were 1 increased, the commission 1 explained. The general fund was j increased by 1.12 mills and J the capital improvements budget was increased 3.50 mills. MOST OF the 1. 12 general I fund increase will be used to 1 pay salary increases while the 1 3. 50 capital improvements increase will be used to pay for courthouse construction amounting to $325,000. 1 There were no increases I noted in any of the special I improvement projects of the county budget. AT THE same time, the j budget was opened and f $430,000 surplus noted to take ; care of $23,000 of additiunal expenses in the general fund. if Most of the general fund .i expenses involved salary increases of $50 per month plus 7 percent for all full-time county employees, not including elected officials. HOWEVER, COUNTY Clerk-Auditor Rodney Walker noted that some of the overspending over-spending in the general fund budget included inflated costs of materials and supplies, increased postage, additional court costs, increase of insurance in-surance premiums and additional addi-tional costs for juvenile detention. de-tention. The general fund mill levy will be 9.05 mills. "THIS IS far below the maximum allowed by law," said Commissioner Glen W. Flint. "By law we could have raised the general fund budget bud-get to 16 mills but as it is our total county mill levy is only slightly over 16 mills." Special project levies remained the same as this year. ABOUT A dozen interested persons turned out for the i public hearing which was intended in-tended to be a hearing on the budget but revolved into a hearing on the proposed mill levy increase. Officially, the mill levy was not set by the commission until Thursday morning. "WE DID all the cutting and refiguring we could to trim this budget," said Mr. Walker. "I know we (county commission) get blamed for raising the mill levy but there is no other choice if we are to continue to offer services county-wide." One interested woman at Tuesday's hearing said she was opposed to the county employees getting two raises in one year first a 7 percent cost of living raise and then a $50 per month raise. "OTHER EMPLOYEES don't get two raises a year, they can barely keep up with the cost of living, if that," she told the commission. "I wish I could get two raises a year." Mr. Walker said the increase in the county mill levy will amount to about $55 per family based on a home and property valued at $60,000. IN DEFENSE of the salary increases, Commissioner Flint explained that "If we don't increase the salaries and keep them somewhat in line with other similar jobs, we lose our employees to other businesses. The county ends up being a training ground for others. Commissioner William Moss added that the mill levy revenue only covers about half the county's total expenses. ex-penses. Grants, fees and other revenue account for the balance. WEST BOUNTIFUL Mayor Grant Secrist attended the hearing and said he had sympathy sym-pathy for the commission but also a few points of criticism. He said there is too much duplication of services between the county and cities, citing the flood control PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 2 , County Raises Levy By 4.62 Kills CONTINUED FROM FRONT program as an example. He also suggested a tighter rein on salaries and if necessary a cutback in equipment as a means of keeping the mill levy down. JERRY LOPEZ of North Salt Lake also criticized the commission for duplicating services. 'The sheriff's department, depart-ment, for example, should serve only where there is no other law enforcement protection pro-tection and stay out of communities com-munities where cities have adequate police protection," he said. 'This could cut some expense." MR. LOPEZ also was critical cri-tical of municipalities "paying "pay-ing the way" for persons of the unincorporated area. "With added annexations, there should be less area for the county to serve, but this doesn't seem to be the case," he said. Commissioner Flint said most county services are for all Davis County residents and cited the more than 800 clients on the county's mental health rolls. "WE DON'T try to be a dictator," the commissioner responded. "We ask the cities what they want us to help them do and then try to do what we can with the money we have." |