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Show are (1) employment and training train-ing of staff to do the work, (2) explaining the program and securing se-curing cooperation from local officials and the general public (3) overhauling and modernizing modern-izing local property tax records before revaluation work could proceed, a.nd (4) coordinating the program with the farmland (greenbelt) exemption law. It is expected that these problems will be overcome during the initial revaluation period, and that subsequent revaluations will be accomplished within the prescribed five-year cycle. A major difficulty in the program, pro-gram, according to the Foundation Founda-tion report, is that there has been an excessive amount of turnover in the reappraisal staff. Last year the turnover rae among tax coin-mission coin-mission appraisers amounted to 35. These local valuation appraisers ap-praisers receive extensive training train-ing at state expense and represent rep-resent a considerable investment invest-ment to the State. The study abserves, however how-ever that the program of auditing audit-ing local personal property accounts ac-counts is on schedule. During the first three years of this program, nearly $19.4 million of unreported valuatio.n was added to the tax rolls resulting result-ing in approximately $1,652,000 in additional property tax revenue. rev-enue. Total cost of the program during this period was $389,000. Thus, the program has produced pro-duced at least $4.24 in added revenue for each $1.00 expended. ex-pended. In addition to the revisions designed to improve administration adminis-tration of the property tax, the 969 Utah Legislature also en-ac'ed en-ac'ed legislation to phase out the property tax on inventories and to provide special tax treatment for agricultural property. prop-erty. These changes were imJ plementations of constitutional amendments approved by the electorate in 1968. The special farmland (greenbelt) assessments assess-ments went into effect this year (1972), while the exemption o) inventories from taxation will be completed next year (1973). REFORMS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE EQUITY OF PROPERTY TAX Although the property tax has been sharply criticized during dur-ing recent months and is generally gen-erally regarded as the last popular pop-ular of all the taxes imposed by government, it is likely to continue con-tinue as a major factor in most local revenue structures. This is the conclusion reached by Utah Foundation, the private ; tax research organization, in I their latest analysis of the Utah j property tax. Foundation analysts point out that the property tax presently produces $168 million n revenue reve-nue in Utah and $41.3 billion throughout the United States. If the property tax were eliminated elim-inated and replaced with a sales tax, it would require an added tax of 6 in Utah, or ; a total sales tax rate (state and j local) of 10V2. If the income ! tax served as the replacement for the property tax, the state Income tax rates in Utah would have to be increased ZVz times. The study notes that during recent years, efforts have been made to improve the equity and administration of the property prop-erty tax. In 1969, the Utah Legislature enacted far-reaca-ing legislation designed to up-J up-J grade the property tax in the State. Among the reforms included in-cluded in this program are (1) the training and certification of property appraisers, (2) the revaluing re-valuing under direct Tax Com-: Com-: mission supervision of all real j property every five years on a county-by-ccunty rotation ba-i sis, (3) provision for downward adjustments in mill rates to reflect re-flect the higher valuations resulting re-sulting from the program, and (4) the annual auditing of 20 of all taxable personal property proper-ty accounts in each county. Since enactment of the 1969 revaluation law, work has been completed in ten Utah counties (Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Kane, Morgan, Rich, Summit, Wasatch, and Wayne). Utah law provides that the revaluation re-valuation is to take place firs' in those counties where the greatest disparities exist, as indicated in-dicated by sales ratio studies. Despite the effort made to control tax increases by limiting limit-ing mill rates that may be imposed im-posed during the revaluation program,' many taxpayers will receive tax boosts. According to the Foundation report, the mill rate reductions didn't fully compensate for assessment increases in-creases resulting from revaluation, revalua-tion, and many property owners own-ers who had their properties reassessed will have an increase in their property tax bill this year. The report observes that) the major reason for the increases in-creases is that properties in these counties have been grossly gross-ly underassessed in comparison with other counties of the state. The study notes that the revaluation re-valuation program is somewhat behind schedule, and that it probably will take at least seven sev-en years instead of five years before all property is reappraised reap-praised the first time. Among the factors causing this delay in the initial revaluation cycle |