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Show Local Scions Comment On Current Legislation Phase-out of Utah's loca property tax on inventories appears to be assured. This was indicated Feb. 7 when the House passed SB 8 by a heavy majority. The Senate earlier had approved the bill which now awails signing by Gov. Calvin L. Rampton. Rep. Jesse J. Peacock, R-Orangeville, R-Orangeville, said he favored the phase-out rather than immediate im-mediate repeal of the inventory inven-tory tax because of thrt shock and readjustment following fol-lowing loss of an estimated $5 million tax revenue in a single year. The bill, when it is signed into law, will provide for a reduction in inventory valuations valu-ations by 20 yer cent in 1970, another 14 per cent in 1971, another eight per cent in 1972 and no inventory tax in 1973. Voters at the polls last November amended the state constitution to permit eliminating elim-inating the inventory tax. Merchants declared that this tax discouraged business by artificially reducing inventories inven-tories at the end of each year. One item in the inventories to experience a reduction in valuation by the anticipated law Will be livestock on hand Jan. 1 held for sale during that year. Only three counties would be affected by HB 9 provid- ing for a merit system for county employes. These are Salt Lake, Weber and Utah, which have more than the 130 employees specified in the bill. Rep. Peacock said less populous counties would experience ex-perience difficulties if required re-quired to place its employees employ-ees under the merit system including giving examinations examina-tions for virtually all prospective pros-pective employees. An alternate bill to raise the state sales tax from its present three per cent to 5Vz per cent was introduced' in the House last week by Rep. Howard C. Nielson, R-Provo, R-Provo, majority floor leader. This bill, HB 230, he said, would raise $28 million a year, practically the same as all three tax increases proposed by Gov. Calvin L. Rampton. Under it, prescription drugs would be exempted from sales tax as proposed by the governor. Food also would be exempted, not proposed by the governor. Presumably the local option op-tion sales tax would be increased in-creased from its present half a per cent to three-quarters three-quarters of a per cent to make the total sales tax six per cent. ' "I doubt that the bill to repeal daylight saving will get out of committee," Sen. Ralph A. Preece, R-Vernal said. Residents of the small community of Clawson, in Emery County, have sent a petition to the Legislature urging repeal of daylight savings. "If people want an extra hour of daylight, they should get up an hour earlier," the petition says. Rep. Peacock said he will vote on daylight savings, provided it reaches the House, "according to the desires de-sires of my constituents." "Although fluoridation as a means of reducing tooth decay appears to be medically medi-cally proven, I don't believe the state should force fluoridation fluor-idation upon all public supplies sup-plies of water," Rep. Peacock Pea-cock said. "I think this should be a local option issue," he added. add-ed. The Emery County representative, repre-sentative, a member of the House Education Committee, looked with favor upon HB 20 which would require consolidation con-solidation of the North Summit, Sum-mit, South Summit and Park City School Districts. This bill was reported out favorably by the Education Committee last week and probably will be debated in the House this week. "This bill does not require consolidation of schools this would be subject to locsl option but it would require re-quire consolidation of administration," admin-istration," he added. Five years ago, Rep. Peacock Pea-cock remarked, Emery County consolidated its own system, providing a new high school at Castle Dale replacing high schools at Huntington and Fcrron. ' "This step, and consolidations consolida-tions of other schools, has brought economic and social benefits to our residents," he said. Sen. Preece favored the strengthened coordinating council system for governing govern-ing higher education as opposed to the single board for higher education, in action ac-tion this week and last. The Senate gave preliminary prelim-inary approval to the sing'e board plan last week and took final affirmative action this week. Under the strengthened coordinting council plan the instituional boards would hire their own presidents. Under the single board plan this board would hire the presidents. "I believe that we are at- tempting to reorganize our government so fasttliat wr; can cause chaos by going too far," Sen. Preece said. |