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Show Vemal Express Wednesday. oc. Utah's major taxes go on steroids Tax revenues in Utah are still on the rise for 1997, but have slowed somewhat from the increases of 1996. "While the increase in tax revenues rev-enues is less than the previous year's, the Taxpayers Association is still concerned with the continual tax growth trend, because revenues are growing at a rate faster than inflation in-flation and population combined, suggesting an increasing tax burden," bur-den," said Greg Fredde, Utah Taxpayers Association vice president. presi-dent. The Association recently released a study indicating that income, sales, and property tax revenues, the three main components of Utah's tax base, rose by $246 million for the fiscal year ending June 1997. This represents a 6.5 percent increase in-crease from 1996 revenues, individ ual and corporate income taxes, combined, rose by 8.9 percent, sales taxes, including public transit, resort re-sort communities, Olympic, state, and local portions, rose by 7.7 percent, per-cent, and property taxes rose by 3.0 percent. Public policy analysts suggest that a three-legged stool approach for taxation provides the best tax revenue rev-enue stability. In order for Utah to have a stable tax system, the state should exhibit some degree of proportionality pro-portionality in sales, income, and property taxes. This study demonstrates demon-strates that the property tax leg of the three-legged stool is becoming thinner each year. In fiscal year 1996-97 revenues from the three taxes varied significantly. Sales taxes tax-es brought in $1.58 billion, income taxes $1.42 billion, and property taxes $1.06 billion. Undue reliance upon sales taxes and income taxes can negatively impact government's ability to function during times of economic decline as these two taxes are tied directly to market performance. perfor-mance. Although the 6.5 percent combined com-bined increase for income, sales, and property taxes is less than the 6.8 percent increase of last year, the Association insists it is still a cause for concern. "In order to. gauge the relative magnitude of last year's increased in-creased revenues, we adjusted the tax revenues for inflation by using First Security Bank's Wasatch Front consumer price index and then accommodated ac-commodated for population growth by using a per capita basis," ex plained Mr. Fredde. The result: per capita adjusted taxes have increased 9 percent from 1990 revenue after inflation and growth. For fiscal year 1990-91 the inflation adjusted per capita tax was $1,407. For the fiscal year ending June 1997, the adjusted per capita tax rose to $1,536. Ordinarily, a taxpayer can expect tax revenues to increase from year to year because of inflation and population growth, but a continual increase over inflation and population popula-tion growth is an indication of an increasing tax burden. Mr. Fredde said, "Tax revenues which grow faster than inflation and growth are a cause for alarm as it signals a growing bureaucracy. For Utah households that already bear one of the highest tax burdens in the country coun-try this is trouble." Income, sales, and property tax revenues are not inc only taxes on the rise. Revenues from U's "sin" taxes-beer, liquor, cigarettes, and tobacco to-bacco were up 9.2 precent from last year's revenues. Revenues from motor fuel and highway use taxes also increased by 2.3percent. The Association points out that the increases would be even more dramatic if the legislature had not passed a $90 million property tax cut for 1995 and a $30 million property tax cut for 1996. At the same time the legislature instituted a two year property tax freeze, which required a vote of the people to increase the property tax rates. Now that the two year freeze has expired, property tax revenues are expected to increase in 1997 since 48 taxing entities are raising their rates. In addition, there are 66 entities enti-ties imposing judgement levies to recoup tax returns and over $180 million in bond proposals for voter consideration on November's ballot. bal-lot. Finally, Mr. Fredde noted that the 1997 legislature voted to increase the cigarette tax by 24 cents and the gas tax by five cents a gallon. In addition, ad-dition, several additional sales tax options to generate local revenues have now been made available for municipalities. "Fiscal year 1997-1998 1997-1998 is sure to show similar increases in-creases in tax revenues above inflation infla-tion and growth that have occurred in the past and continue the trend of an expanding bureaucracy," stated Fredde. Go for the Future" Re-Elect ALBERT W. (Bert) CLARK Vernal City Council POWER PARTY OBJECTIVES Progress Utilize Monies Planning & Zoning Committee Public Works Department Comittee Economic & Natural Resources Impact Boards Committee Youth Activites, Recreation Vote "BERT CLARK" on Nov. 4, 1997 P1 Poupcl Adj. 1 WIRELINE OPERATOR Schlumberger, the world leader in Electronic Well Logging is currently in need of wireline operators. To qualify, you must meet D.O.T. and company driving requirements. A D.O.T. physical is also required. While not a requirement to start a commercial driver's dri-ver's license and oilfield experience is a plus. We offer competitive salaries and benefits such as: Major Medical Sickness & Disability Credit Union Dental Insurance 10 Paid Holidays Profit Sharlng401K Stock Purchase Plan Life Insurance Retirement Program Paid Vacation Educational Assistance if you qualify, please send resume or contact us for an application at: Schlumberger Well Services 1735 East 1500 South Vernal, Utah 84078 801-789-3394 We e ai Equal Opportunity Employer M F.HV Per Capita Taxes Adjusted for Inflation Using Wasatch Font CPI with a 1988 Base Year ssoo $400 o Q. T3 W 3 J $300 -i $200 c o 5 - $100 $0 4 Jl F1 n Jl Legislative $30 Million Pro; " Legislative $90 Million Prope'tvT,-' 90 91 92 93 94 9G 9G Fiscal Year Swirce: f'tuli Taxprnvrs .Assm union iui'hjj ibuarom the Vuih State Tax Cmmusston and First .Security Bank D Personal Income and Coi Taxes Q State, Local, and Otner S CD Property Taxes Two charged in has published a tax summary booklet book-let that details all the changes to the Firearms takcn in a burglary of a tained by Det. Dylan Rooks, Vernal Charged with possession or stolen tax laws and the increases m tax Vernal business were recovered by City Police, a house on 100 South properly are Christopher Whitmore, revenues. It can be obtained by call- vernal City Police. was searched Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. 19, and a 15 -year-old. ing (801) 972-88 14. jne rcsujt Qr a searcn warrant 0b- and the firearms were recovered. smart . lo !k v v A In our emergency room, patients are seen within minutes. In life-threatening situations, patients are seen within seconds. . to , .-- 3 Some lnopn.il ilinU tic.it an cnu'!'ti tike an fMKi("('iH I hc tn.ilc mi 'i ,nd ,M. ,linl tt.llt .tllil l.,iul Ml ,l"(l ,lll li"lil til WiMitht il i'ull crt t't !h' ll'til't tl ,itir tiiit-n ncd N,t ,ii t oiutnKi .h, Y,i!Wv Mln.d U-Wrt Our piiuni ,ne nn In- .1 highly "lulled plitM,m m out envies my n,.tn nhm immiir Ol Mr tlur iirntng utiMiii'ii. Mif ni ii r tn wilhifl ftd Sr. it fhitiil'M Xhk) ,iilfy Mr dual t wet. t ' ,ilw,n I.-t ing nit ytnl si. t,t M nirsl in pv.n in no'nf Inpil.il wlu'ic xi'ut i mi i T1K lH IV IH'.Htil .I'll .I'-ll Mi,iii!d K O COLUMBIA Ashley Valley Medical Center In an emergency call 911 or Columbia Ashley Valley limenyn, HI WcM 200 North. Vcitul litp wwcclumbid uUih icm m us R COPY |