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Show 1 2 Vernal Expressfldvertlsef MAYOR LAWRENCE KAY swears Argast began his official duties Small business owners reject proposed tax hikes Nearly one-half of the money the state collects from taxpayers goes to fund public and higher education and that's quite enough, according to the state's small business community. That's the conclusion of a new survey by the National Federation of Independent Business, after polling 4,552 Utah small business owners. "Utah spends more per capita for education than any other state. While our per-pupil costs are quite low, the cost per individual taxpayer is one of the highest in the nation," explained NFIB spokesman Doug Foxley, adding ad-ding that the State Board of Regents the governing board for higher education has requested a 25 percent budget increase, and it's anticipated that public education will follow suit. Armed with results of the 1984 NFIB survey, Foxley is gearing up for a budget battle: Seventy-one percent of the small business owners answering the poll oppose hiking taxes to add more dollars for public education. Eighty-one percent rejected further increases in-creases in spending for higher education. School funding is not the only tax question lawmakers will take up when they return in January. The governor has already recommended $150 million in new tax increases the largest such recommendation in Utah history. "Judy Everything . in tho I Store Half Price I Except Hosiery I and Lingerie Climb A Located on Main Street Wednesday, January 4, 1984 in new patrolman, Sam Argast. on Dec. 30, 1983. The cash register and the gas pump are two other possible sources target of new revenue. But small business would oppose any such tax hikes. Ninety-two percent of those polled said "no" to the idea of depositing tax money more often than they do now. Under a revised schedule, businesses that collect sales-tax money for the state would deposit it monthly instead of quarterly. "More frequent reporting would burden the independent business owners who can't afford to hire accountants," ac-countants," said Foxley. "Greater expenses ex-penses mean higher prices on the goods or services they sell." Small business also rang up a "no sale" to any move extending the 0.5 percent temporary tem-porary sales-tax hike past its Sept. 30 deadline: Ninety percent want the Legislature to hold to its promise of "sunsetting" the half -cent increase. And finally, small-business people aren't ready to pay more to put gas in their tanks. Seventy-five percent of the owners polled reject boosting the motor-fuel tax. "The state now collects 11 cents per gallon and that's in addition addi-tion to a 9 cents-a-gallon tax on the federal level," said Foxley. "Utah has benefitted from the higher federal gas tax. If funds are used properly there should be ample cash for critical highway projects," he added. & Ellen Rawlings wish Everyone a Happy New And Invite Everyone To Their Beginning Thursday, January JW V'.:'- V. 3 1, . T .i uLiTLllJ Elian The Attic is "Come Take OUam Fashion - Lrr Naples swears in new officer Sam Argast officially assumed his duties as a Naples City Police officer on Dec. 30. He has passed the written' and physical tests required to become a police officer and will attend the police academy in January. Argast will be attending the academy from Jan. 14 through March 23. Fellow officer Mike bond will also be attending the academy. After graduation from the Salt Lake City Academy the two officers will be eligible for certification. According to Naples Mayor Lawrence Kay, police officers must be certified within a year after assuming their duties. Argast currently lives in Naples with his wife, Jana. He will be the fourth member to join the Naples police force. Census Bureau releases tentative figures The United States Census Bureau has released its tentative recount of the Naples area. According to Bud Andrews from the Census Bereau in Denver, who supervised super-vised the count, Naples is tentatively listed as having 1,886 residents. The official of-ficial count, however, will not be available for at least six months, according ac-cording to Marlene Stidham, City recorder for Naples. The recount of the Naples residents was conducted by local people who made a door to door head count. According Ac-cording to Andrews the count went quite smoothly with very little problems. He said that while the 1,886 figure is not official, there appears to be an increase in-crease from the official 1980 census figures which listed Naples as having 1,501 residents. The recount was requested by the city ci-ty because the 1980 count was conducted con-ducted before the city incorporated and to increase the amount of revenue sharing funds available to the city. Mrs. Stidham explained that revenue sharing allotments are based on city populations. Rawlinas and Judv Rawlinas co-ownars show off manv of the baraains at still full of Advantage - an n U LnJ Moon Lake Electric to refund $3.1 million Grant J. Earl, General Manager of Moon Lake Electric Association, announced an-nounced this week that the Cooperative's Board of Directors has approved a power cost refund to the members amounting to 3.1 million dollars. According to Earl, because last year was an exceptionally good water year, the Cooperative had the opportunity to purchase hydro-electric power from Western Area Power Administration above the amount of their allocation. This being the Co-op's least costly source of power, it substantially lowered the blended cost of wholesale power for the calendar year 1983. - Governor s committee revises recommendations The governor's committee promoting pro-moting a $150 million program to im prove state educational systems has revised its recommendations to give local school districts more flexibility to develop teacher career ladders and initiate other productivity reforms. The Utah Education Reform Steering Steer-ing Committee in an 11-page addendum adden-dum released Friday, also recommends recom-mends providing more money to reduce public school class sizes and increasing in-creasing workloads of higher education educa-tion faculty members to match suggested sug-gested salary hikes. In general, the addendum maintains the basic ideas of the initial report, "Education in Utah: A Call to Action," but modifies and clarifies certain segments to allay concerns expressed by teachers and the public since the report's publication Nov. 11. The revisions are based on comments com-ments gathered through a series of town meetings, a five-hour meeting with representatives of the Utah Education Association (UEA) and contacts with various professional organizations following the publication of "A Call to Action." The bipartisan committee appointed by Governor Scott Matheson in June, said it "stands firm in its conviction that now is the time for action." Far from being a cure-all for Utah's educational educa-tional needs, the recommended reform package represents the minimal action to be taken. "The cost, equitably distributed will require sacrifice but can be borne without either hobbling our economy or imposing im-posing unacceptable hardship," the committee said. "A Call to Action" created some furor among teachers with its recommendation recom-mendation to establish a four-step 5 Thru Saturday, January 7 Beautiful Winter Clothing of Our Half Price Sale" Roosevelt The existing rates are designed to cover the normal cost of power and the refund is the amount collected over the cost of the past year's power. The refund re-fund will be applied to the electric bills which will be mailed in January. Each consumer's refund is in proportion to the dollars they spent for electricity in 1983. Earl reminds the members, "This is a one-time windfall so the rates presently in effect are not changed. The Board is indeed happy they were able to take advantage of an opportunity oppor-tunity to save the members money on the electric bills." The Co-op manager added, "While career ladder to advance educators from a "beginning teacher" level to a professional, senior, and leader . teacher level. The addendum now says the four-step four-step career ladder is merely an example exam-ple of the type of system which could be set up by local school districts working work-ing within the parameters established by the Utah Legislature. The State Board of Education would have final approval over the district career ladder programs and would release or withhold funding depending on the suitability of the district's proposals, pro-posals, the addendum said. Also suggested in the addendum was to give the school districts greater flexibility to lengthen the teachers' contracts to an average year of 192 days with a proportional increase in pay. Because fall enrollments were smaller than previously projected, the committee recommended pinpointing $5 million for the classroom reductions instead of the previous recommendation recommenda-tion of $3.5 million. In higher education, however, the committee said class sizes may have to be increased to improve the produc-tin produc-tin of credit hours per faculty members. The committee said, "Policies should be implemented that insure faculty workloads match increased salaries provided by the Legislature and are comparable to workloads at institutions with similar pay scales." The addendum also recommended that wherever possible universities and colleges should limit the use of graduate teaching assistants and other part-time faculty members. The Attic Abovp SALE Phone 722-2792 J this is an example of the Cooperative s continuing effort to provide service at the lowest possible cost, members need to be aware that it is likely that a 10-15 percent increase in rate will be necessary in early spring next year. Wholesale rates were increased during dur-ing 1983 by both of our power suppliers and the Cooperative has been absorbing absorb-ing these increases, as well as the effects ef-fects of inflation, since the last time retail rates were increased in April 1982. It is our intention to always keep our members informed on what they can expect. We urge you to read our publications and invite you to visit with us any time you have questions regarding your Cooperative." Man injured in industrial mishap Bradley Wagner, 26, was injured in an industrial accident which occurred the evening of Jan. 1, 1984. The accident occurred at approximately approx-imately 6 p.m. south on the old Bonanza Bonan-za Road in Coyote Canyon rig. No. 14. Wagner was working on tjie floor of the site and was holding up some bales, which weigh between 300 and 400 pound apiece. Wagner stepped backwards and fell into a sitting position in a small hole, when the bales fell on him. He was transported to the Ashley Valley Medical Center by ambulance. He was treated for pelvis and bilateral bi-lateral femur contusions and held overnight. He was released on Monday. TEMPERATURES Hi Lo Pet. 17 15 .15 Date Dec. 27 Dec. 28 Dec. 29 Dec. 30 Dec. 31 Jan. 1 Jan. 2 19 06 -10 -04 07 01 12 14 21 16 17 tr. Courtesy Sky West Airlines Vernal City Program Year" Come Early For Bargains Galore Foot Fitters |