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Show FOUNDATION REPORTS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE PROBLEM Utah's local- governments are faced with critical administrative adminis-trative and financial problems, according to a report released this week by Utah Foundation, the private, nonprofit tax research re-search organization. In response to these problems prob-lems the 1955 Legislature created creat-ed a local Government Survey Commission. Objectives of the commission are to define problems prob-lems of local government - and to recommend methods of meeting meet-ing pressing issues. The final report will be submitted on or before Sept. 15, 1956. Total annual " local government govern-ment expenditures in the nation na-tion have spiraled upward from S9 billion in 1946 to $21 billion in 1953, according to the Utah Foundation's report. Key factors fac-tors in rising local government costs are wartime neglect of needed maintenance and new construction, inflation, and increasing in-creasing population. Foundation analysts point out that several large cities have tried forms of city-county consolidation con-solidation to improve efficiency and reduce costs. In most instances in-stances some improvement of administration and service has occurred, but these various plans have not resulted in extensive ex-tensive tax savings. The Utah Foundation study reveals that improvements in Utah's local government financial finan-cial problems are hampered by the lack of adequate financial reports, and uniform accounting account-ing practices. The report states that "Utah is following the national trend toward urbanization. The result re-sult is increasing pressures for local government services. Currently Cur-rently more than 65 of the state's population is urban." Between 1940 and 1954 nearly near-ly 77 of the new growth took place within and around urban (Continued on Back Page) HERE'S MORE ABOUT UTAH FOUNDATION Continued from Page One) centers. More than 45 of; Utah's population growth be- : tween 1940 and 1950 took place ; within the "Salt Lake urban- ! ized area." Overlapping and duplicating services among local governments, govern-ments, particularly in metropolitan metro-politan areas, are a source of inefficiency. Foundation analysts an-alysts report that "Salt Lake taxpayers paid at least $719,-370 $719,-370 . . ." in 1954 toward county provided municipal-type services serv-ices offering little or no benefit to city residents. The Foundation reports that while unnecessary expenditures are being made because of duplication dup-lication and overlapping, other local government services are inadequate in some areas. For example, the report points out that Salt Lake City has recently been advanced in fire insurance rating, but is still one grade lower than most U S cities of comparable size. An additional advance in grade would save Salt Lake City taxpayers ap proximately $200,000 per year in fire insurance premiums, according ac-cording to the report. Among other major problems facing local governments and discussed in the Foundation report re-port are issues concerning police po-lice and fire protection, public health, sewage, and sanitation. |