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Show Utahns will pay more on property taxes The average Utah homeowner home-owner will pay about $20 more this November than last, according to Jack A. Olson, Executive Vice President, Presi-dent, Utah Taxpayers Association. Asso-ciation. 'The average tax bill on a $40,000 home was $418 last year. This year the aver- age will be about $438," the tax expert explained. Expressed in mill levies, the 1976 average in Utah was 74.74 mills. This year the average levy will be about 78.20 mills. A mill is one dollar in taxes for every $1,000 in assessed valuation. In Utah average assessed valuation is approximately 13 percent of the fair market value of the property being taxed, Olson explained. Total property taxes charged charg-ed this November will be approximately $20.7 million or 9 percent higher than last, he explained. The 1976 was $240,134,711 compared with this year's estimate of $260,827,000. School Districts will take about 60 percent of the property pro-perty taxes collected in the state. They will charge $154.9 million this year compared to $144.3 million in 1976-an increase in-crease of 7 percent. Schools also receive all of the state income tax receipts, Olson said. Cities and towns will charge $31.8 million this year compared com-pared to $29.6 million last year -a 7 percent increase. County governments are expected to collect $53.9 million mil-lion this year. This is 6 percent over last year's figure of $51 million, he said. Special Districts account for the biggest percentage increase in-crease in property taxes charged. This year's figure of $20.1 is 33 percent higher than last year's total of $15.1. The lion's share of this in-crease-84 percent-is due to the creation of a new municip- al-type service district in the unincorporated area of Salt Lake County. The district was mandated by the Utah Supreme Su-preme Court to Eliminate "double taxation" of residents living in cities and towns. This year it is expected to collected $4.1 million in property taxes, Mr. Olson explained. |