Show ROAD DEPARTMENT NT ISSUES FIGURES ON GAS TAX DIVERSION I What the diversion of gasoline I ta tax mon moneys ys would mean to Duchesne Duchesne Duchesne Du Du- chesne county is indicated in data compiled by the state hig highway way department department de de- and issued in support of Governor Henry H H. H Blood i During the past fifteen years according to their figures expenditures expenditures expenditures on state highways within this county reached a total of 1 1 of which the total collections collections collections col col- col- col made mado within n this county amounted to only DUring During During Dur DUr- ing the fifteen years from 1920 to 1935 inclusive the state coll collected from state road taxes while the county contributed from other sources In addition addition addition ad ad- it is computed that the motorist motorists s of this county paid in gasoline taxes bringing the total of money raised raised raised rais rais- ed within tl this s county to 46 as indicated above To this the state added another and allocated from federal appropriations appropriations appropriations to make male the total expenditure as reported Rural Ruml Sections The money which the state highway highway highway high high- way department us used d from its funds to help finance this road improvement program within this I county came largely from gasoline gasoline gasoline gaso gaso- line taxes collected in the llie more populous areas of the state and proved a direct benefit toward improving and maintaining the road D mileage leage in the sparsely settled settled settled set set- sections Of late years Governor Blood has repealed the taxation of property prop- prop lerty erty for construction and maintenance maintenance maintenance main main- of state roads or purchase of rights of way and has also aho stopped the practice of calling upon upon upon up up- on the counties to advance funds to match federal aid in construction construction construe construe- tion of state roads Tl This s has imposed imposed imposed im im- im- im posed the entire burden of matchIng matching matching match- match Ing federal road funds and of maintaining state roads and of purchasing rights of way on the gas tax collections Diversion of these thesa moneys to the cities would cripple the state road program from being carried earned on in the county county county coun coun- ty and would necessitate the property property property pro pro- pro pro- perty taxpayers rs here either making makIng making mak mak- ing up the difference or would require shutting down part of the highway program being carried out If the llie state matching was cut the state would lose a considerable part of the federal aid now being I provided During tho the 15 year period mentioned more than has been spent on state roads inthe in inthe inthe the entire state state- The counties have collected from the state road tax levies on property some 7 and have raised another from other sources The gasoline taxes have hav paid 22 amounting amount and another sum ing to upwards of has come from state road bonds The federal gov government has put up a total of Only in the counties of Weber and Salt Lake have the state stat road expenditures been less than the amount of money collected from within n those counties either in property taxes or gasoline taxes This excess c. collected from these two counties has been US used to finance the road program else else- where Thus it is pointed out the tho diversion diversion di diversion di- di version of gasoline tax moneys as advocated by some of the candidates candidates candidates candi candi- dates for public office would b benefit benefit bene bene- fit these two counties at the expense expense ex ex- pense of the balance of the state Furthermore t their he h 8 i r statement warns under the federal law any diversions of gas tax money would result in reducing the amount of federal aid allocated to Utah |