Show Absence of Water Levy In 35 Budget Is Explained Absence of or provision for bc the water department in the 1935 municipal municipal municipal mu mu- levy of oC 13 mills was c explained Saturday by city officials as due entirely to new state slate laws empowering commissioners to fix levies in more direct relation to use of funds raised thereby The Th e 1935 legislature made that that- provision by amending section 87 15 of the compiled laws JaW Au thus granted em empowers commissioner com com- missioners missioner to 0 levy Jevy for jour four additional additional addi addi- purposes no flO not set forth in the theold theold theold old lawIn lawIn law In other words said Auditor Audit r Samuel F. F Nicholls the board may now levy for support of departments which will use the funds and which them reason of ol are in need seed of by reason the fact tact that they ar are large largely I if not riot entirely prod producing cing de de- de e- e P Pays Pay S 'S Own Way Vay While the law still allows a maximum maximum maximum maxi maxi- mum levy of 4 mills on the dollar 40 cents per of assessed valuation val vat for water the levy wan vas not ot m made de this year because the water department is the largest single revenue rev rev- producing division of the tbs city elly govern government ent earning each year nearly nearly near near- ear ear- ly Iy twice the amount of its actual operating expense exclusive of bond Interest and sinking funds It was pointed out by Mayor Louis LouisMa Marcus Ma cus water rates rates' may be rai raised ed regardless of whether the metropolitan metropolitan metro metro- politan water district is authorized by voters at an election August 15 The Tho money thus raised would be used to support the district I if ul ultimately ultimately ul- ul formed and If not formed to supplement regular finances of tho the city if it voters reject the water district proposal at the polls Comparison of the new law and the different maximum statutory levies levies' which may now be made by ci cities ies of the first class t follows Old law taw New lAw Pur Purio o e Mills MUll Mills Con Contingent t t 2 2 9 Water 4 Streets sidewalks 3 3 Sewers drains 2 1 2 Gas au electric tel telephone phone r railway Uway and bathhouses city cUy hulls hafts memorials 5 S 5 3 Auditor expenses None Nona one 5 5 Public safety None one 5 Public affairs finenco None 2 Parks public pr property Nono 2 The total levy Jevy for all aJI purposes be made in lii any anyone one year remained unchanged at mills for cities of first class and mills for cities of second class by the law Jaw which became effective March 25 25 1935 1035 Cuts Cut Violations The chief reason for enacting the new law was to eliminate continued technical violations of the budgetary law officials of ot practically every school district city elty and county county county coun coun- ty taxing unit of the state were forced to commit under the old law Strict provisions of the old law were that money raised by levi levies s c could uld be used for or other no-other government go function than that for tor which the levy was made Thus for for- example in ih the c case sl of ot Salt Lake City a levy of 3 mills was made under made under the tho old l law w ostensibly ostensibly ostensibly osten osten- sibly for water and waterworks But when the revenue was forthcoming forthcoming forthcoming forth forth- coming from that levy practically all aU of It was used to support the auditing auditing auditing au au- au- au public safety parks and fi finance finance finance fi- fi nance departments for which the theold theold theold old law provided no levy However without this camouflage method of at complying with the budgetary statute stat stat- ute tate the auditing public safety parks and finance departments could not have operated because they are not revenue producing in the sense of or being self Comparison of the 1934 Salt Lake Lak City levy Jevy with the current levy made this week by commissioners under the new law Jaw shows 1934 levy JeVY 1935 levy Old law New law Purpose Mills Mills Contingent 2 1 i Water Vater 3 None Streets sidewalks 2411 1 Sewers drains u 1245 None Bond Dond Interest sinking fund 4 4 0 2952 Special Improvements guarantee fund S 5 5 Library Auditor None Public safety None 4 Parks None 11 13 13 |