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Show Ubh Legislature Receive "G" For Good, feting The record of the 1971 Utah Legislature in matters affecting local government was generally accorded a G (for "good") rating Dy local government lead ers with a few notable ex ceptions, pertaining to controversial issues on which there was sharp division of opinion, accord ing 10 utan Foundation. A dis cussion of 1971 local government legislation Is contained in a re search report issuedthisweekby ine t ounaation, the private, non profit public service agnecy Major issues affecting local government in the 1971 legislative session were a proposal to provide wider choice in the form of county government, which passed; and a proposal for an added one-ha- lf percent local op tion sales tax. which failed. Local government leaders and students of government generally applauded the action to open the way to optional forms of county government. Leaders in govern ment and civic affairs in Salt Lake City and some other Utah communities have been openly critical of the Legislature's re fusal to enact the sales tax meas urealthough other people of prominence have praised the same action, the Foundation not ed. Principal arguments offered by legislators against according the half -- percent increase in local op tion sales tax were the desir ability of retaining the sales tax potential for the State General Fund, of which it is the principal support; and the belief that much of the state outside Salt Lake and tome other Wasatch Front communities do not need or want the increase. After defeating the sales tax proposal, the Legislature oass ed a number of bills designed to provide some means of financial relief to hard-press- I. 111 ii II l II ii I 1 A i I I in Utah. However, Salt Lake City f estimated $1 million is ex pected to go go local government throughout Utahfromal971 law requiring the registration of camper's carried over public highways. There wouldbe no registration fee as such payable to local government, but payment of property tax on campers is a prerequisite to registration and would provide the local revenue. Registration of snowmobiles and vehicles is also expected to provide additional revenue to local government (through payment of property taxes as a prerequisite to registration), but tax officials say there is no existing basis for a reasonable estimate oi now much money may come from this source. The proposal to permit optional forms of county government is dependent on approval of a proposed constitutional amendment to remove the existing requirement that all of Utah's twenty-nin- e counties employ the same form of govenrment. This proposal will be placed on the ballot at the 1972 general election. If it Is approved, a bill passed by the 1971 Legislature will take efi fect January 1, 1973, offering a number of choices In the form of county government, including the possibility of con- souaauons. Community leaders emphasize that adoption of the consitutional amendment wlllnot automatically change any county's form of government, and that the present form may be retained if citizens so desire. The enabling legislation (SB 92) was prepared by a citizen group known as Utahns for Efficiency in Government (UTEGO) and was based on the Local Government Modernization Studies conducted, under the auspices of the Uni versity of Utah Institute of Government and directed by Prof. LeRoy Harlow of Brigham Young University. An ! city-coun- ty I i i I I I i I I i i I i i fl i i i i l M i i I I I I 1 I 1 - II II I Iff I I I I i J I i L- I I 111 l -J I i i J I I II II I ii I 111 JLh 1 ' r xrcvx ii ii adopted. 1 -- ifc. i officials express extreme re luctance to make any increase in the property tax, pointing out that the city's levy exceeded 100 mills last year, and asserting that any further increase would tend to drive business out of the city and to deter new business enterprises from coming into the city. Local government was given the right to impose a$5 registra tion fee on passenger cars and basis trucks, on a county-optio- n It is estimated that this would bring approximately $3 million if it were adopted by all local jurisdictions in the state. Universal adoption is considered unlikely. however, Money from this source is restricted to use for traffic law enforcement, and in many small communities expenditures for this purpose are consider ably less than would be provided by the vehicle registration fee. In Salt Lake City and County, and other large communities, traffic enforcement budgets are sufficiently large to absorb the full potential return, and adoption of the registration measure would effectively release comparable sums for general use. It is esti -mated that this source would oro . vide about a half million dollars to Salt Lake City next year, if I i I i i I I I I I ) ' ii II I y ii i i I I I v t I I I S I viuvr yi A W.. .m ti r 11 vsws. .1 &mi .VMS II S II & w cx yrvMTVU t v rj? i rw i l i jy ii ii ii ii I ii ii V s. I 17 J$ y ismr i WJlVIiiMi --CT r Ii s-Z- i 1 1 i I IV x. I I iifllii f III jWI local gov ed ernment units. Salt Lake City's property tax legal limit was raised from 18.5 mills to 35 mills, a figure made uniform for cities of all classes i i ii yy s i y I i y I ii ii f i II y i i i i vvvvx v. i i i i i i ' vv y i I IV v 1 I ii i i i y ii ii w v i i i i j I ii I j i Is Friday Saturday MAY1 14 & IS m iH mm ' ; "i . .i 6 |