| Show r J I 6 Utah Cou l s Seek Solution To 0 Welfare Finance Problem J J I 0 State Refus Refusal l Of Levy L VY Poses Puzzle Utah taJi Officials of at least six Mx counties were poring poIng over the law books Friday in n an an attempt to diJ cover covet legal means of ot raisin raising money for welfare purposes following fda fol lowing state tax commission disapproval dis approval of a county property tax taz levy because it included a levy for public welfare First notice of tax tax- commission disapproval went wen to Salt Lake City commissioners rs whose 7 mill levy Included 12 mills for or welfare purposes State tax commissioners said similar welfare levies included ed ii in property tax levies for other counties also would be denied Of 19 counties filing property tax levies for approval to date six included welfare levies These are re Salt Lake Davis Utah Carbon Carbon Carbon Car Car- bon Beaver and San Juan counties coun counties ties according to Albert Eccles director property tax division Asks Ruling On the heels of the disapproval Edward vard M M. Morrissey Salt Lake Ike county attorney formally asked the tax commission to request an opinion from the attorney g general as to whether or not the county has authority under existing law to levy a tax to payoff pay off its ts deb debts for 1947 1941 The letter pointed out that the county has an obligation in excess of ot for public welfare expenditures expenditures ex ex- during the first half of 1947 a large portion of which al already already al al- ready has been paid If It no tax tm to tod tod d defray fray th these se expenses can be levied wh when n tax anticipation notes natu become due the county may be unable to pay them in full it com corn Disapproval of or county levies containing a tax for welfare purposes purposes purposes pur pur- poses came following an opinion from Atty AU- Gent Gen J rove citing the changes changes' fa In elfare legislation legislation leg made by the 1947 legisla legisla- ture J Jj Power j Repealed pe led U Under d r the Utah law counties coun ties w were te required dW to foot 15 of the welfare bill but the new law r repealed pealed county power to tax for tor this purpose effective J July 1 Problem of the counties which under law cannot set let their tax levies until the latter part of July Jilly or first par part of ot August is how to raise funds to meet their 15 share of ot welfare c costs 5 for the first six months of the year before the new law took effect Und Under r investigation as a possible possible pos pea sible answer er to the problem is Sec 4 19 Utah Code Annotated Annotate l. l 1943 which p permits a county to levy a tax for lawfully contracted indebtedness The law in In- part reads In the event that the revenues in any one year are in insufficient through delinquency delinquency de de- de or of taxes or other cause to pay when due all the lawful debts of the county which have or may hereafter hereafter here here- after alter be contracted the board of ot county commissioners is authorized authorized author authorS and directed to levy and collect collect col cot lect in the next succeeding year a sufficient tax to pay all of such lawfully contracted Indebtedness and may borrow as provided in this section in anticipation of ot such tax to pay any s such ch lawfully contracted contract contract- ed indebtedness Question B Remains However there is a question as asto asto asto to whether such a levy may be made one year to pay off an anticipated anticipated antici antici- pat d indebtedness in the same lame ye year r dr whether the county must wait until the uie y year i th ar following ing the c contracted m tra ted indebtedness Unless raising problem is soon solved Salt SaIt Lake county taxpayers may get their tax notices notices notices no no- tices late this thi year county officials dais clab said Mid explaining that with the c cO county nty levy still in doubt doub work is b up on ort computation of oft t taxes Taxes Taxes' must be comp computed ted by Sept 15 15 for submission to the county treasurer who then begins to prepare and mall mail out tax no no- tices Receive Letters Two communities in Salt Lake county nIsa came also I came canie in for tor disapproval disapproval letters from the state tax commission Sandy which submitted sub sub- a property tax levy of ot 6 mills listing it all for tor contingent fund mill over Its legal limit while Midvale with a legal limit of 2 mills sub submitted a levy of 23 mills Is fo for public affairs and fi fi- fi nance Mr r Ec Eccles les who reported officials cl in the two communities have been asked to revise the levies added it was possible separate sep listings listings list list- ings of or various items in the levy would so solve ve the problem |
