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Show Good Rating Awarded to Recsnt x Utah Legislative Session The revord of the 1P71 Utah Legislature in matters mat-ters affecting local povern-mer.t povern-mer.t was generally accorded accor-ded a "G" (for "good") ra-tir.g ra-tir.g by local government leaders with a few notable not-able exceptions, pertaining pertain-ing to controversial issues is-sues on which there was sharp division of opinion, according to Utah Foundation. Founda-tion. A discussion of 1071 .local government legislation legisla-tion is contained in a research re-search report issued this week by the Foundation, the private, nonprofit pub-, lie service agency. Major issues affecting local government in the 1971 legislative session were a proposal to provide wider choice in the form of county government, which passed; and a proposal pro-posal for an added on."-half on."-half per cent local option sales tax. which failed. Local government leaders lead-ers and students of government govern-ment generally applauded the action to open the way to optional forms of county coun-ty government. Leaders in government and civic affairs af-fairs in Salt Lake City and some other Utah communities communi-ties have been openly cri- tieal of the legislatures refusal to enact the sal-s tax measure although other people of prominence have praised the same action, ac-tion, the Foundation rioted. riot-ed. Principal arguments offered of-fered by legislators against again-st according the half-percent increase in local option op-tion sales tax were the de-sireability de-sireability of retaining the sales tax potential for trie State General Fund, ei which it is the principal support; and the belief that much of the state out. side S;dt Lake and some other Wasatch Front communities com-munities do not need or want the increase. After defeating the sales sal-es tax proposal, the Legislature Leg-islature passed a numb.r of bills designed to provide some means of financial relief re-lief to hard-pressed local government units. Salt Lake City's property proper-ty tax legal limit was raised from IS. 5 mills to 35 mills, a figure made uniform uni-form for cities of all classes clas-ses in Utah. However, Salt Lake City officials express ex-press extreme reluctance to make any increase in the property tax, pointing crj,t that the city's levy exceeded 100 mills last year, and asserting that any further increase wouid tend to drive business out of the city and to deter new business enterprises from coming into the city. Local government was given the right to impos3 a ?5 registration fee on passenger cars and trucks, on a county-option basis. It is estimated that this would bring approximately $3 million if it were adopted adopt-ed by all local jurisdictions jurisdic-tions in the state. Universal Univer-sal adoption is considered untikely, however. Money from this source is restricted re-stricted to use for traffic law enforcement, and in many small communities expenditures for this purpose pur-pose are considered less than would be provided by the vehicle registration registra-tion fee. In Salt Lake City and County, and other large communities, traffic enforcement budgets are sufficiently large to absorb ab-sorb the full potential return, re-turn, and adoption of the registration meas u r e would effectively release comparable sums for general gen-eral use. It is estimated that this source would provide about a half million mil-lion dollars to Salt Lake City next year, if adopted. An estimated $1 millioi is expected to go to loca government throughou Utah from a 1971 law re quiring the rvgisl ral ion of campers carried over pub lie hii.' Iiw ays. There u iiu'd be no roe ra linn fee as such p.'iyali'o In local government, gov-ernment, lull payment of properly las on campers is a pi ereqiii-.ile lo regis-1 regis-1 1 .il ion and would pro ide the local revenue, liegia-tialion liegia-tialion of snowmobile.! and all -terrain vehicles is also expected to provide additional revenue lo local lo-cal government (through payment, of properly taxci as a prerequisite lo rogia-'Iratiotil, rogia-'Iratiotil, but. tax official-: say their is no existing basis for a reasonable estimate es-timate of how much money mon-ey may come from this sou rce. The proposal lo permit optional forms of county goxornmont is dependent on annroval of a proposed constitutional amendment to remove the existing re. quirement that. all of I tab's twenty - nine counties coun-ties employ the same form of government. This proposal will be placed on I the ballot at the 1072 general election. If it is approved, a bill passed by the I'.tVl Legislature will I ake el'l'ei t. ,l auuary 1 , l'.i7o, offering a number of choices in the form of county government, including in-cluding the possibility of eil y-coii nty considerat ions. Community leaders emphasise em-phasise (hat. adoption of the constitutional amendment amend-ment will not automatically automatic-ally change any count.yV form of government, and that the present form may be retained if citizens so (le-.i re. The enabling legislation (Sl!-'.l( was prepared by a citizen group known as Utahns for Efficiency Ml Government (UTIiGO; ami was based on the Local Lo-cal Government Moderiza-tion Moderiza-tion Studies conducted under un-der the auspices of the University of Utah Institute Insti-tute of Government and directed by I'rof. IeJloy Harlow of Mrigham Young University. |
