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Show Deadlines: News: Thursday 10:00 A.M. Advertising: Thursday 1:00 P.M. Phone 789-3511 Single copy 25 Vernal p Friday, March 21, 1986 Vernal, Utah 84078 94th Year No 24 10 Pages In a report to the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, state representative Gayle McKeachnie made it clear that balancing a state budget and pleasing everyone who wanted their share was next to an impossible task . McKeachnie, who just completed his eighth legislative session, said the lawmakers are now waiting to see their report cards which are prepared by various groups that grade their performance. "Making one group happy invariably makes, another unhappy," explained McKeachnie, and then referred to an amusing article arti-cle in the Deseret News telling what the legislators did and did not do in this year's session. "When we came into this session it promised to be the most bland, least exciting session we had ever gone into," in-to," said the representative. "We wondered what would occupy the 45 days." Trying to build a budget around estimated revenues was the first order of business, according to McKeachnie, but they soon had to do it over when a $30 million short-fall was disclosed to the budget makers. They had no more than completed a new budget with the short-fall taken into consideration when the Governor's Gover-nor's staff informed them that another short-fall estimated at $10 million had to be absorbed. For the third time the budget was trimmed and adjusted. "Every other year but this year, we have found ourselves raising taxes at the end of the session," explained ex-plained McKeachnie. "We spent less money this year than last by $57 million. That cut a lot of programs, however, more money was spent for public education than before." McKeachnie presented copies of the state's general and uniform school fund five-year revenue and expenditure ex-penditure projections for the fiscal Center The Ashley Valley Community Center Board will request a $7 million grant rather then a grant-loan grant-loan combination from the Community Communi-ty Impael Board, a board official said Wednesday. Marhn Johnson, support member of the Ashley Valley Community Center Board, updated the Vernal City Ci-ty Council Wetliiendjy on the pro-grrs pro-grrs of the twrd in eM.ib!i?.hir.j? a tomroum!)' ceiiicr. The community tenter inuxrd met ith U.e Imjact lurJ earlier thi tnoidh ftnl trifufinaily presented tlw-ir 17 million, three ay ttrojrtt. The l-rwrd iwit ' i fcrd in" Id the three-way ronrrpl Johnson fcitid, hut it to the pt rfmrd alter native. The ? ! tnUh V ialc fof t'in teh It-eti Shm4 14 community renter UvttA. p4 the rimMruc!n 4 rrti'hSi m k4 m the tlrstah County Fa is pnj-t1y, The Garn to speak at Chamber meeting it r''f i t'-e Jnh r:-. ftt-I A? !"t ftl (1t,(trttf !-?'.-$ la t hM tTMlj. Jptit 4 Hhp sf.jfit. f - ;; naf. f ; r- '-. .ff. f -v tit i f(iT:1 If p ? --I W t''if4 Nf fV iif ItTT ! f " iv f Ui-f p't-ri ft h, !'-! V - '- I t ' ' : - ' - ' ( - r- j r f Se i- t 5 l it i V"' Inside . VT AH i v v . ml- -.- ff Cv ml A k -111 v '-r A n k Aft v . 7 -.'II i WPnfwy iinin'iif fim hill "WHAT'S A REPRESENTATIVE to do?", Gayle McKeachnie seems to be saying as he explains the complexity of balancing the Utah State Budget to Vernal Chamber of Commerce Members. years 1987 to 1991 as reported to the Interim Appropriations Committee. Assumptions for the projected budgets for those years were given for three possible situations: a low economic-population growth estimate, one assuming a growth factor fac-tor of six percent for all agencies and population, and the other based on the historical growth rates for Utah. The low growth projection left the state budget in the black with a surplus showing up in 1990 and 1991. Every other year in the estimated period was left with a good sized board fairgrounds would be moved to a site north of Slcinakcr Park. The transaction will not occur until the middle school Is built so that students can attend the high school. The $7 million grant request will cover the capital costs of the project. The Impact board has offered to sell the receivables on the $13 million loan from the Impact board on the conM ruction of the new high school which ouI4 generate about $3 4, Because the loan on the new high schwil was from the mineral fwinu revenue, the impart tard cannot can-not a ard thrm as a grant The impart board propped to Juan lle II 4 million at no (ntrmt and the balance of the f million wmjU be earoV4 s a grant Johnson said, The community renter board, htrevrr, vntrtj to cris a grant lor the mure amount. lw msha!HI If?!, h t(At Twrt-ff pn.t ttsr-!rf S t tfTie sgajft fI M.e yt-av'l m $ rriflttHlminre. if-f-rf ffiir.r?a?f-,taf I ftva.fr fy : ' ' at Jrs;f f.rm t j hi ;',r fuj'; !?! A-A";h' -? r T"- i .-"-' t fr-r-t s'.v t'rr f.-.tnl'X rf avr.Tr.iVt Shape up . . ' : i .... shortfall. The other two projected situations left sizable shortfalls in each of the projected years. After reviewing the expenditure projections charts with the Chamber audience, McKeachnie touched on the subject of raising taxes. "Many believed there was automatically a tax increase built into this year's budget, and I "don't like that," he stated. He said Utah's tax base and economy are not growing as fast as the size of the families. He expects to see educators lobbying to raise tax.-v by saying the increase is necessary balks at Operation Costs Vernal City Mayor Sam Snyder questioned Johnson about the operating cost of the facility. Syndcr said that many people are concerned about taxes and a possible increase if the center is built Johnson said that the board had letters of intent from the Utah State Extension and Uintah Basin Area Vocational Center to occupy the building. Also Adult Education and Social Services have shown an interest in-terest in leasing some space. What is ; - ; '. - ' ' s w ! ' . .. ' :M---r - . . - . ' , i i i r- , 1 - ..-mi i - easy to retain the same level of funding for next year. How the monies will be stretched to fit the budget leaves many questions, according to McKeachnie. He said the drop in oil prices takes away revenue, "A small portion, but it really real-ly makes a difference," and used Alaska, Louisiana and Texas as examples ex-amples of an effected economy related to the price drop in the oil market. Other factors to be considered by the Utah legislators are reduced income in-come from both state generated sources and the Gramm-Rudman act that cuts the federal funds coming to state programs. "The state aims to balance the budget, yet we elect congressmen to cut budgets then ask them not to cut programs," lamented McKeachnie." "Cutting budgets is a good idea as long as it doesn't affect me, is the general attitude." The representative summed up his remarks by saying he feels Utah's legislators are making the best decisions deci-sions they can to benefit the state and the people. He added that he believes the representatives and senators are dedicated to their jobs despite the criticism they receive. In questions fielded from the audience au-dience he explained the generation of flood control funds and the use of part of the federal mineral lease funds that were used to balance the budget. He told about the demise of his bill to see that mineral impact funds were spent where people were impacted rather than becoming part of the general funds. He added that one of two things will be done about what he terms, the improper use of the impact im-pact funds. Either the Association of Counties will file a law suit against the slate, or the association will go to Congress to see that the impact monies come directly to the counties effected. loan, The maintenance of operation of the facility would be paid by a $3 to (4 per square foot leasing fee. Those that lease the facility would be responsible for the upkeep and cleaning clean-ing of their portion of the facility. The community center board would be responsible to pay the utility bill on the buildings which is estimated at 1300,000 per year. "If USU or the vocational center backed out of their leases, other entities en-tities could lease the space or it could be closed dow n," Johnson laid. I l ir it? Planters to go in by middle of May Plans for planters along Main Street have been changed from square ones to round ones to shave expenses, otherwise, the project will go ahead as planned this spring. spr-ing. The project began last summer with the formation of the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce ABC Research and Development Committee. One of the goals of the committee commit-tee is to enhance the appearance of Main Street. The committee was impressed with the appearance ap-pearance of the flowers at Diamond Dia-mond Hill Motel. Numerous visitors to the area drive through the motel's parking lot to see the flowers. Operator of the motel, Ranee Searle, has agreed to help the committee in placing and planting the planters. "If we can make it as attractive attrac-tive as Diamond Hills, the planters would be an asset," said Judy Burns, chairwoman of the ABC Research and Development Committee. The original design of the planters was rectangular around the base of the Honey Locus trees already planted on Main Street. Burns explained to the Vernal City Council Wednesday, that because of the inexpensive cost of the round planters, the committee commit-tee will place three round planters of different sizes around each tree. Cost of the three planters will be $57.40 for a total cost of $3,731 for 65 units. Cost of soil and plants will be about $1,000. wants grant "I will not make the promise of 'a Big Mac a month," but I think it can be done using the rental fits." The community should have the opportunity op-portunity to vote on the community center prr-posa! possibly In November, Snyder said, What Is a Community Center? Symler said that many people do not understand the concept of a community com-munity center, and that there should be more public hearings so that pro-pie pro-pie utdrr!and, t I - ' y y-yy J .' t. I'-, sue?.. ;;jji: ,ts-!i;et??"-Si5,t- y3 . -MIMNraMHHW Tennis battle ! t H rvt-4 I r- I 1 - 4 i , '1 The entire cost of project will be raised by a performance by a musical group sometime in April. There will be no expense to merchants. mer-chants. The planters will be installed by May 15, Burns said. The Uintah High School Future Farmers of America and the Jaycees have volunteered to plant the flowers, Burns said. The plants will be maintained by youth workers in the Job Partnership Part-nership Training Act youth program. pro-gram. "The planters will not cost the merchants unless, we are unable to raise the money," Burns said. The first year the planters will be placed on three blocks, and if the project is successful, it will spread to other business the next year. The Vernal City Council approved ap-proved the planter project Wednesday. Two years ago the city attempted attemp-ted to place planters around the Main Street trees, but because of the expense and damage to doors of parked vehicles, the planters were pulled out. Two other projects proposed by the committee include the construction con-struction of a city center park on the sourtheast corner of Vernal Avenue and Main Street and revitalizing the appearance of existing ex-isting businesses. The city park would include benches, trees and a community bulletin board. Johnson said that the primary pur pose of a community center is adult education. If there is a demand for education or Job training in a certain area, then the center w ill provide It The support areas of the educational educa-tional program would be the athletic facilities and performing arts. "Each of the sen ices provided by the community center w ould enhance the other." There is some concern about whether there would be enough support sup-port of stu'lenu for day time elates, "A M of people do shift work and are sirgle parte,!! whocwild stlend," Uhrary The Uir,tah County CfflWts?ioa Construction completed on spring cover rwtrf AsKtj ? ft a ftif-f-VipJ fcrrlj ry 5.MH's?rTt1i'tff. fcVf aM $rt IJwtir-'-t4 K?kt r?4 V XUntf Vz'tf f in!?" ",t.K f'r;-t fl fff-. Ittt Uip i--r At-Mry sycH IN? xtlr4 r? tftl U l?r j-f ? Bif it t tJf ! ... J fens pi tf . it!''l |