Show utAH UlAH TAXPAYERS TAXPAYERS' UNIT HELD GREAT GHA I J CITY IH Urged to Take Take Up Equalization Equalization Problem ECONOMIES AS ASSURED B Budget Provides for Retirement Re- Re of Bonds C Contention t that u-l u U the e Utah Taxpayers Taxpayers Tax Tax- payers association could render an inva ser serVice to the time ta taxpayers pa ers of the city 1 by y devoting Its attention attention attention atten atten- tion largely to the time problem of or equalization o of Values alues on taxable property was las b by Commissioner Commis Commis- T. T 1 T. T Burton at the meeting of ot the time city commission Tuesday The commission gr granted an audi audience ence to representatives of 01 the association association association as- as as as- prior to the formal passing passing pass pass- ing of the iJ budget for 19 1027 totaling 1927 7 totaling In attendance at it the meeting was as yas large represent representation of members bels bel's pf Qt the Salt Jal Lake e. e unit o 0 of the thc Utah a association by V. V U U. U Sutton chairman and George Q Morris the latter presenting A Aset aset set of s wen seven ven recommendations of t the time association Chief C Interest attending the time discussion ills dis of f the lime budget centered in a statement statement- of Mayor X slen of the time comparative amount o pf indebtedness indebtedness indebtedness' indebted indebted- ness ness' that thai had been incurred nc nd re retired retired re- re tired d In th the period of thirty years 1888 to ta 1918 1918 and during the time eight years yeats tI that tIt t have elapsed ed since that time LARGE LARGE BOND RETIREMENT A According to the time mayor who quoted a statement of City Auditor Alvin Alvn the predecessors of ot the time present plesent commission over the time year thirty period r retired tired a total of ot and during the s same n period period pe pe- pe- pe nod reissued bonds bonds' to the amount t 0 of- of of O while while- while during during the time eight years ears r following the commission has retired a total a total of This I as was vas largely In reply to a recommendation of ot the association that t of the expected surplus surplus sur sum plus of f 1600 0 Q in in inthe the 1927 budget be devoted to toa sinking fund to re retire retire retire re- re tire outstanding indebtedness and was made in part part as as expressing the conviction of ot the mayor that the tile present commission could be relied upon tc th Indebtedness at ata ata ata a rapid rate rafe and give the taxpayers ers the benefit of ot economies Since it wa was Imperative to pass the budget buds buds- et ci ue 4 In compliance with law the maYor suggested that the surplus surplus surplus sur sur- plus Item Hem had better be allowed to stand for tor the purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose of oC taking care of expenses between now and next Jul July r when hen the he taxes would be de determined determined de- de for the year The maor added th that thet t the time 1927 budget had set setup setup setup up the sum of for the re retirement retirement retirement re- re o of at bonds B BUDGET WORK LAUDED In commenting on the budget as' as asa asa a whole the tile mayor said it was the result of ot the finest mo most t unselfish ish isi In intelligent t consideration he had ever seen devoted to a budget during during- service on the commis commis- sion aion Ve We know our city is growing declared the mayor and it must continue to grow and we ve cant can't be expected to practice insane economies economies econ econ- for OI the sake of saving a little money here and there For Instance in instance instance In- In stance thi there e is a large item Hem for the fire d department in the tile ensuing year rear Tl This s will go for the purchase e of ad additional additional all all- equipment for the better protection of ot property which will wili naturally result in lowered insurance insurance insurance ance rates to the people Again an appropriation In the budget will bring water from tron the tile Mountain Dell reservoir directly Into the high line by conduit greatly Increasing the city supply A suggestion was made by E. E M. M Ashton that the association favOr the passage of the budget as offered an and FO go on record as fa favoring the use of association influence ini in indis suggestions ns for needless expenditures from organizations outside Mayor ra or replied that the suggestion was a a very good one since he said the da day has has' lon long since passed when governmental bodies initiated public improvements improve improve- ments that Involved the time expenditure of money that outside influences were ere always brought to bear In this regard He observed obel that the tile as asso- asso o Continued on page 8 I Utah T Taxpayers Taxpayers' Unit Held Great I 1 Service I Continued from page page 1 elation clation would do io o a IL good work by discouraging outside pressure on n the commission to spend mom money I VALUATIONS DECLINE Commissioner Burton told the as- as L delegates that during the fx x years he has served on the corn- corn lon the total tax valuation of or Y property had declined from to and that d the same period there had be at least 1000 new homes built bum every year at a a. conservative valuation val val- of Qt each This he said nade l de a a. total value of or a s I clr ear in such structures or 00 for tor the year six period In face taco or othis Commissioner Burton said thre had been a IL depreciation in valuation ot ot the same period This class of property V j he declared hes-declared- declared had experienced an immense Increase in taxation while tho iho same fame was w not true of large largo In Institutions In- In which expend millions yearly y in ne construction ne Replying to a recommendation that bail ball bonds and fines In city J. J court bo in cash vr cr Burton Said ald that th of ot tho the c cOurt urt was outside the control of the com corn mission As' As Asan Asin n instance he cited a common offense se before the city courts for tor which h the minimum fine tine f Ms II 50 in such casesI cases t he lIe said frequently brought rought Imposition imposition impost impost- tion of ot the minimum amount with J 30 or ortO 40 tO remitted At the end ot of otc c 4 the year he heid de despite the fact I that the city tIers bears rs the tho operating expenses of ot courts one one- half the income from fines tines is turned over O to the cour count county t Mr 1 Burton in intimated In- In that the association should be thoroughly acquainted with cont conI con- con t I in order ordet to assist In finding tho Iho remedy ASSIST LEGISLATION I I r Mayor eslen told the association On that a a. good w way y to help hell the commission com m- m mission save ave about annu annually lly to the taxpayers was to obtaining legislation n permitting t the taxes to be paid semiannually Instead in ln- ln stead of annually He lie saUt salil that jt and more annually went to Wall rall street for tor interest on loans lOan Lt I j necessary to tide over the government government govern- govern r ment bent until annual tax time A summary of the 1927 budget in ini i totals follows tollow f. f Auditor 1632 0 O public library I f public affairs and IIi fiL fil fi- fi l i Commissioner attorney attorney at- at torne torney license assessor L 1 puit agent re recorder ret re- re t corder and und city courts sexton sexton sex sex- ton 6 tr treasurer surer Q warm springs Public safety safet Commissioner fire d department health department departments 9 community com corn clinic juvenile court I 2880 police pollee and prison 1 street lighting Parks and public property erty Commissioner Com Corn missioner ell city cily and county count building pound 89 l 1 park ark 1111 department bureau mechanical Inspection n public pub pub- I. I lie lic safety building tion ion Streets and Commissioner engineer 74 59 streets and ani irrigation r interest on sewer bonds 38 x improvements city portion 4 4 Y y Statutory and general Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscella Miscella- expenses interest on general bonds bond sinking fund j b Water supply and waterworks Mayor Commissioners Aya- Aya iva- iva a- a department en engineer n- n interest Interest Water vate bonds Londs returning wa water ter tel main department Total otal Seven Seyen recommendations on the the- budget for 1927 1027 were offered to tb the city commission by the Salt Lake of the Utah Taxpayers Taxpayers' asso- asso cl elation at a IL special meeting in the council chamber at 10 1030 30 o'clock Tuesday morning The letter to the commissioners rs signed by William WilliamD t. D Sutton Button chairman of the unit 1 follows in part I As As a a. means of or bringing about bout further possible economies with with- t impairing efficiency our s study udy J r or budget leads u U us to make the following observations and nd suggestions lions Centralization and use of I j 1 k motOr r equipment p It is our belief v that In keeping with good business ho city motor vehicle r f equipment should be mobilized and J centralized d at some convenient l point probably the present street I Department barns that this entire C C. C equipment be under the supervision of a master mechanic who shall be beheld beheld held responsible for the main maintenance ten ten- I i r ance anee upkeep and repairs and protection pro pro- of t all ail ll motor vehicles owned t iy by y the city that a u. car dispatcher also Iso be employed to have complete Control over the use ise o ot of all such C motor equipment ment b both th trucks and k touring cars that he will be re responsible re- re re- re 4 for their allocation to department de de- de heads and their author- author 1 Ired d subordinates charges being made nade in each case against the de- de t utilizing them K It l 7 i i our ur belief beller that by this cen- cen 1 Control iP f c a a. saving of not less n can be had in reducing the ne need for new equipment in re rep repairs repairs re- re p pairs and maintenance and in confining confining con con- fining the use of or this expensive sass ass of or property to strictly city business 2 Streets As a a. matter Of C equity and fairness to all aU taxpayers ers era we present to you the suggestion suggestion suggestion tion that the charges for all all' new Streets be made against the abutting abut abut- I i ting lIng property property not not only cement but 1 gravel and tar as well well for for the very ven I reason reason that all alt such improvements C enhance enhanceS the value of ot property thus i C benefited This would l Immediately relieve other taxpayers n arid d place I the burden where It ri rightfully be belongs 1 longs upon lOngs n upon s-upon upon those receiving the e benefits fro these improvements We ul also o recommend that In the interest of economy nfl all exIsting existing ex ex- streets be maintained in the best possible condition consistent with tle thie funds available 3 Reserve fund We Ve recommend that out of your surplus of nearly provided for In your budget approximately be set aside side as a IL sinking fund toward meeting our present bonded indebtedness I This recommendation is made in or r der del to minimize the temptation 41 1 on the tue part alt of ot tax spen spenders lel's to petition I and bombard the city commissioners commission commissIon- i ers erg throughout the tho entire year for I numerous and sundry requests request of varying values for expenditures of the moneys which they know is Inthe in inthe in inthe the surplus fund subject to V C I I 4 Supplies We that requisitions for supplies office furniture furniture fur tur and equipment and for all ail capital investment such FoUch as new machinery machinery machinery ma ma- chinery and automobiles shall be presented as separate requisitions to the city commissioners for their t I consideration and action and that no expenditure of that nature be made without first receiving the approval approval approval ap ap- ap- ap of the board of city commissioners commissioners commis commis- upon each separate tion 5 We recommend that a careful survey DC made in all the departments of the city to determine determine determine de de- de- de termine it if the required efficiency cannot be maintained with fewer In this connection we recommend that the hour eight-hour day dayot of ot actual service exclusive of luncheon luncheon luncheon lunch lunch- eon period be observed wherever feasible and practicable 6 Bail Ball bonds As an important item of possible revenue we recommend r commend com mend that all bail bonds in the in-the the city court shall be actual cash or its equivalent in liquid securities so that all fine a and forfeiture of bonds shall result in actual cash to the city treasury as an important source of tax revenue 7 Serial bonds We Ve commend l the city commission for its consistent consist consist- ent eat policy in designing serial bonds in all Is found necessary since this form of bonds guarantees that the obligations obligations obliga obliga- will be regularly m met t each year rear |