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Show Mayors To Study Sales Tax Proposals By GARY R. BLODGETT Four Davis County mayors and city managers have been selected to serve on committees studying sales tax reimbursement proposals. REPRESENTING Bountiful are Mayor Elmer W. Barlow and City Manager Tom Hardy. Layton Mayor Lewis G. Shields and Sunset Mayor Norm Sant also serve on the mayors' committee. The 20-membcr mayors' committee met last week and discussed several alternative proposals, but did not conclude on any preferred proposal, according to Mayor Barlow. The 10-mcmbcr city managers' committee com-mittee is to meet later. MAYOR BARLOW said one or more plans w ill be adopted by the mayors' committee for presentation to the Utah State Legislature. Before adoption by the committee, however, the city managers' committee will thoroughly study the proposals to determine the effect and impact each proposed change would have on each city. "I believe we are on the right track." said Mayor Barlow. "It seems good to have the mayors working together for the betterment of all cities w ithout all the prejudices and in-fighting that has been going on the past few years." HE SAID the committee would try and reach an agreement in time this fall for the proposal to go before the State Legislature's budget session next spring. Otherwise, it will be two years before any adjustments could be made in the state sales tax law. "It's too early to know if the mayors' committee is leaning toward any particular proposal." said Mayor Barlow. "But it is eveident that most, if not all. of the mayors feel that there should be a change in the redistribution method of the sales tax from the state to the cities." THE MAYOR expressed optimism that a suitable sales tax proposal can be reached whereby only a very few communities would be seriously hurt economically. eco-nomically. "The small resort communities of Alta, Park City, and Brian Head rely solely on sales tax reimbursement reimburse-ment from point of collection because they have no population on which to base their reimbursement," the mayor noted. "BUT IT'S doubtful that the adopted proposal would be based entirely on population or point of collection. It probably will be based on both, but to what proportion is not decided." Mayor Barlow also stressed a need for an increased in-creased sales tax and said he prefers a proposal that would increase the sales tax by one-half percent and then have the tax distributed equally to cities based on population and point of collection. HE SAID another proposal being discussed is that of Representative Lorin Pace, Salt Lake City, who is seeking to have the cities' portion of the sales tax increased by three-quarter percent. This would then be added to the current three-quarter per cent the cities presently receive. "The additional three-quarter percent combined with the present three-quarter percent -- making a total of 1 Vi percent -- would then be redistributed to the cities. AT THE same time, however, it would be proposed prop-osed that the State Uniform School Levy, amounting to about 24 mills based on assessed property valuation, valua-tion, be eliminated. Mayor Barlow said he feels school officials would balk at any such proposal. Also, the proposal does not seem to be generating much interest among the city mayors. |
