Show T Taxpayers s Seeking eking Light AS A S the time nears for the election to determine whether or not Salt Lake City will form a a metropolitan n water district with the immediate purpose purpose of entering into the Deer creek project ct praiseworthy alertness on n the part of taxpayers taxpayers taxpayers tax tax- payers is evident City officials are being asked to explain provisions o of the law obligations that would be assumed how it is p proposed t to meet them and to answer m many ny ot other er highly pertinent questions which the enterprise brings to the front The Salt Satt Lake and Utah county communities ties tes which have taken action looking to the formation of metropolitan taIl vater water districts ap appear appear appear ap- ap pear to have sensed one danger holding the possibility of s serious rious financial involvement ement First propos proposals s were that Salt Lake City Provo and nd other communities join in jn the formation cf it f a w water ter district This would have obligated each community in the partnership called by bythe bythe bythe the court quasi municipal corporations to as assume assume as- as sume ume the debts of any or all defaulting commUnities com corn It would be conceivable that numerous or even even all ail but one member community might de de- de default default fault when the whole burden would then fall I upon a few communities or even a single c com corn corn- m- m Salt Lake City Provo Sandy Midvale Pleasant Grove and Lindon have registe registered ed op opposition opposition opposition op- op position to the single large district which would have comprised those towns together with Orem rem Heber City American Fork and Lehi le and Sandy and nd Pleasant G Grove ove and Lindon however may join in forming two districts districts districts dis dis- dis- dis each of the others becoming separate districts By this means small communities would hope to relieve themselves ves of the danger danger dan dan- danger ger of becoming loaded with fina financial cial obligations obligations obligations obliga obliga- wholly beyond their capacity to discharge Ey Even n so it is i not clear dear that tha the risk is js avoided avoided avoid avoid- ed because the law gives clear authority to a awater awater awater water district to guarantee the Ithe obligations of cities or towns other water districts or of private private private vate persons persons' or corporations I Voters should have clearly in mind too that the law authorizes the superimposing of water districts as new tax units over the municipalities ti ties i s iA the district Thus when a city or town with a debt a-debt debt limit of 4 per cent of its ith as assessed essed valuation would be unable to vote bonds beyond be bk- be- be yond ond this debt lim limit to enter upon a water e t tas as a wat water r. r j i could uld add another 10 0 p per pr r cent ent Th This s is equivalent qu val to raising th the debt limits from 4 to 14 per cent The new law lawi i gives eves ves general taxing powers to a water district The law laV also empowers Vers a a aVater water Vater ater district even though it tt be limited by the same boundaries boundaries boun boun- daries as s the municipality constituting it to sell I or dispose of its water rights The constitutiOn constitution t tion n prohibits a municipality as distinguished I fro from a water district with congruent t boundaries boundaries boun boun- daries dades from doing this I A metropolitan water district will become a creature of and subject to the exclusive control control control con con- of the government therein and II not by th the citizens ns The he dire directors tors will be appointed ap ap- ap appointed appointed pointed by the city commission hold holding ng office at t its pl pleasure asure an and responsible to it fo for its its ac ac- ac In towns the town government will ap appoint appoint ap- ap p- p point and control the Though hough the law authorizes a water district to borrow up to lO to per pcr cent of the assessed valuation within the district above and beyond t the e 4 per cent authorized under the municipal debt limit bond iss issues es must have ve the approval of taxpaying voters as in any municipal bond bonde issue iEsue e ele election tion This is the only measure of control exercised by bythe the taxpayers over the action ac ac- ac actions tion of the directors of their metropolitan itan water district It be becomes omes of the highest importance that t those ose entitled to vote at the election be fully informed as to the broad delegations of power contained ed in inv th the act Questions and issues in ad addition to tho those e indicated here wi will perplex ex c citizens It is an obligation of the city commission commission commis commis- sion on to provide voters and taxpayers with the f fullest l est information This Mayor Marcus City Attorney Fisher Harris City Engi Engineer ee W W. D. D Beers and nd others are endeavoring to do The T legram has previously pre announced that its columns are open to any reader desiring information mation aton that will ill enable him more intelligently to vote at the August 15 elections We invite ques questions ions and views relevant to the issues We also urge ge careful reading of the informative ve articles appearing from day to day in the news C columns of this paper The whole future of this community is bound up P in the provis provision o of an ah an adequate te water supply for present and f future heeds needs Neither the windup wind wind- wind wind-I up II fp of of the drouth cycle if f it itis is wound up nor northe the formation of a metropolitan water district to th undertake the Deer creek project disposes of Salt Lake City's water problems Other vital steps remain to be taken Discussion of these would only be confusing until the forthcoming el elections h have ve been en held Afterward ward however the rounding out c of the wat water r program must receive timely and thoroughgoing consideration n. n |