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Show Annexation groups must report facts The uproar over the annexa- Opn of Val Verda property into -ountiful is puzzling. It seems that intelligent people could ex-amine ex-amine the facts and make an educated decision on the issue. That's not happening. Not because those involved aren't intelligent; in-telligent; they seem to be well-spoken, well-spoken, articulate citizens. The problem lies with their inability to get the facts. Both proponents and opponents oppo-nents of the issue seem to be skewing the information to support sup-port their cause. There's also a little matter of the signatures on the annexation request. Several are not the signatures of the property owners. It may be an oversight, it may be an honest mistake, or it may be out and out skulduggery. Proponents have erroneously disseminated the information that the county is now insisting that Val Verda be annexed to Bountiful or North Salt Lake. They have said the county is refusing to provide services in the future and they will be like an abandoned child left on the doorstep of one of the neighboring neighbor-ing communities. County commissioners have repeatedly denied this, yet the information is still a part of the rhetoric of proponents. Opponents have accused Bountiful of trying to build its kingdom by annexing the property. prop-erty. The city has continued to deny this is true. City engineer Jack Balling said the city has not, nor will it in the future actively ac-tively solicit annexation. He added the city has very little to gain in the annexation other than more clearly defining the city boundaries. Then there is the question of what it will cost to belong to the county, Bountiful or North Salt Lake. Proponents have claimed Bountiful power will cost less. The fact is, Bountiful power will not be available to the newly annexed area. Utility costs would increase as Bountiful charges a six percent franchise tax on its electricity, natural gas and telephone lines. At an average utility cost of $100 per month, that would total $72 per year. Neither the county nor North Salt Lake has levied a franchise tax. Property taxes in the area are another factor to be considered. Davis County Assessor Willard Gardner said a $75,000 home in the Val Verda area would pay $794 in tax in the county, $830 tax in Bountiful and $833 in tax in North Salt Lake. Garbage rates for North Salt Lake would be $9.50 compared to $12.93 in the county and $9.25 in Bountiful. The bottom line then for a $75,000 home with $100 per month in gas, electric and telephone costs, plus the garbage fee, is that unincorporated Val Verda property owners would pay an increase of $104.32 yearly year-ly to annex to Bountiful, and a $35.57 yearly increase to annex to North Salt Lake. Those are the monetary considerations. con-siderations. The other claims, that Bountiful would provide better street repairs, snow removal and fire protection can only be answered by the entities involved. Those who are giving information infor-mation should stick to the facts. If there is a hidden agenda; if there is better name recognition; if there are reasons that aren't being talked about, they need to be aired. It appears if the issue is money, that Val Verda residents are better off to stay where they are. If proponents and opponents are going to spend money to circulate cir-culate information, it should at least be accurate. |