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Show Utah Spending to Reach Big $34 Billion Under AJer Budaet Total state spending in lltah from current revenues re-venues will reach $756 million next year under the budget proposed by the Governor to the 1975 Utah Legislature. This sum represents an increase in-crease of $72 million, or 10.5 over the $694 million authorized for state purposes in 1974-75. 1974-75. These facts were pointed poin-ted out by Utah Foundation, Founda-tion, the private research re-search agency in their analysis of the 1975-76 state budget. Of the $756 million proposed expenditures from current funds for I 1975-76, approximately I $387 million, or 51.2 I would go for education. . Public schools would receive re-ceive $252 million (33.3 per cent) and higher ed-' ed-' ucation would get $135 I million (17.9). Other I major areas of state I spending would include social services - $146.3 million (19.4), highways I and transportation --$113.2 --$113.2 million (15.0), , general government --$61.3 --$61.3 million (8.1), nat-' nat-' ural resources -- $19.3 I million (2.6), public sa-I sa-I fety -- $18.1 million I (2.4), debt retirement I and interest -- $5.7 mil- lion (.08), and development develop-ment services -- $5.3 million (0.7). The Foundation study notes that the 1975-76 Governor's budget contemplates con-templates an increase in the state individual income in-come tax amounting to $12.8 million. This would be done to make up the revenue loss that was incurred when Utah adopted the Federal method me-thod of reporting in 1973. The Governor suggested that this change could be made either by raising the existing income tax rate structure or by returning re-turning to the old state income tax law. He expressed ex-pressed a preference for the second alternative. Another change recommended recom-mended by the Governor would be to exempt prescription pre-scription drugs from the sales tax. Such an exemption ex-emption would reduce revenue from the tax by approximately $2 million a year. There is also a possibility possi-bility that the Governor might recommend a three per cent gallon increase in-crease in the gasoline tax. The Foundation report re-port states that the Governor Gov-ernor will submit a supplemental sup-plemental highway budget bud-get message in about 45 days. Because there is a likelihood of Federal legislation which could affect highway finances, the matter was postpon- ed until this later time. Foundation analysts cite the following as some of the other important im-portant points brought out in the Governor's budget message: The Governor's budget bud-get recommends that part of the cost-of-living increase for personnel costs be used to provide larger increases in retirement re-tirement benefits, with corresponding smaller increases in current salaries. sa-laries. A 12 increase for personnel costs is built into the respective departmental budgets. This 12 is to cover increases in-creases for both current salaries and retirement benefits. Recommended state support of the public schools in 1975-76 was set at $205.9 million, an increase of 16.2 over the current fiscal year. It was proposed that the amount of support per weighted pupil unit be raised from $560 to $610, and that a major cost-of-living boost amounting to $9,620,000 be made in the school employees retirement re-tirement program. A recommended state appropriation of $86 million mil-lion for higher education educa-tion for 1975-76 would represent a 13.2 increase in-crease over the original 1974 - 75 appropriation and 16.7 when the cur- rent 3 appropriation reduction is considered. The Governor suggested that a study be made by the Hoard of Regents to determine the adequacy of student tuition fees. He said that nonresident tuitions should be main-, main-, tained at 80 of current costs for educating such students. A budgetary increase of 14.6 is recommended recommend-ed for the Department of Social Services. Larger than average increases would be provided for corrections, mental health, alcoholism and drugs, aging, and mental retardation. The Governor recommended recom-mended that his power to reduce appropriations in order topreventoper-ating topreventoper-ating deficits be extended to include appropriations for public school support. sup-port. This authority to reduce appropriations, however, should be limited lim-ited to 4 of the total budget without a special session call. The Governor recommended recom-mended that a $1.7 million mil-lion "windfall" which was to be paid to the public schools should not be distributed. He pointed out that the State should be obligated to pay only the actual costs of the school program and not the estimated costs. Rather than increase fishing or hunting licenses, licen-ses, he suggested that the State should appropriate appro-priate $3 million from the General Fund to the m Division of Wildlife Re- I sources. I |