Show I Either New Revenue Or Curtailed Service With the Salt Lake City commission in the throes of annual making budget-making it may be some consolation to harassed city officials to know they have lots of company in their misery Most cities in the country today are finding it difficult difficult difficult cult to make ends meet The Alexander Hamilton Institute says costs of government government government govern govern- ment are rising faster than the cities can produce additional revenues and that in many instances cities are being forced I to postpone badly needed municipal im im- Cities have adopted many devices for solving their financial problems They have raised property taxes to the legal limit They have put taxes on incomes public utilities tobacco parking and imposed imposed imposed im im- im- im posed business and professional licenses In the last two years ears ne nearly a hundred local units have adopted tl the e general sales tax ta and more than a hundred have t adopted adopt d admission and amusement amusement taxes Two biggest factors causing increased city expenditures according to the institute institute institute tute are rising labor and material costs Cities have been forced to meet the wage increases granted by private industry industry- and may face still bigger wage demands if the labor drive for organizing municipal municipal municipal pal is successful Cost of materials materials materials ma ma- and equipment has risen far more rapidly than have ha city city- revenues It may be some consolation to know I that Salt Lake City is not alone in fac far faring facing ing serious financial problems but this company in misery m doesn't help in any anyway anyway anyway way to solve the problems There are only two real alternatives We Ve must either find substantial new sources of municipal revenues or drastically curtail municipal services It isn't an easy choice but officials and people of just about about every city of any size in the country in including including including in- in Salt Lake City are arc faced with making just that decision today |