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Show the study had anything to gain Committee Challenges Critics on Cost of County Government The plan for a new structure of county government would save taxpayers money rather than costing more as opponents claim, the Committee to Improve Utah County Government said Tuesday at a press conference in Provo. Proposition Number 2 to authorize the new pattern of government for the county will be voted on by county residents on November cost more, they are only revealing their state of mind. They seem 'cost-mor- e' never to consider that good service could cost less," said Martin B. Hickman, chairman of the former Utah County prepared the new plan. "Perhaps that is why county taxes rose this year by 40 percent, much more than was needed to cover regular costs." The Committee representatives insisted that reorganization of Reorganization of existing government functions along more efficient lines actually can save substantial amounts from the present budget, said Harold Glen Clark, committee chairman. For example, at the present time salaries for elected officials and administrators in county government amount to nearly half a million dollars a year. Overall, salaries for the 400 employees consume about 13,000,000 of the county budget of nearly $5,000,000. By contrast Orem City, also the existing fragmented departments in the county will be done if Proposition 2 is supported by the voters. County officials keep telling the public that the new plan will cost "over $200,000" more than present government, a figure which has no basis in fact. They apparently assume that the new system will add a new layer of department heads. Anyone who reads the Study Commission's report with care will see quickly that what is really called for is unification of services under basically four departments instead of the present 17. Fewer administrators, not more, will be needed. "The only way I can see how the opponents could have made the mistake they have about costs is that they supposed every function or service would have an office of its own. That mav be with a budget around year, has only Salaries for officials and administrators in that city are only about half the total for the county. Orem has a much tighter administrative set up than county government. "When the opponents of change, who consist mainly of those in county government,, insist that the new plan will $5,000,000 per 200 employees. the way they think, but that isn't at all what the Study Commission proposes. Costly duplications in present county government can be reduced by d administration, and that is exactly what will happen if voters give it a chance to happen," said Car-wi- n Williams of the committee. government improvement is dominated by county officials and employees and their friends and associates. The county paid these people well over $100,000 in salaries last year. They are afraid they will lose these advantages. One of- tough-minde- Study Commission which 2. from the changes except better government for themselves and their children. The present Committee for Improvement of Utah County Government includes many from the study group. Neither do they have anything personal to gain. Instead they are contributing their time, energy and means for the sole reason that the people have the chance to govern themselves better. Who is against the reform? The committee organized against this proposal for ficial, Mr. Williams reported, told him that he agreed that the new plan is a good one. but he was comfortable in his job, and why should he rock the boat? "The whole idea of trying to administer a complex organization by a committee of three people with equal responsibility among them for the results is really absurd," said Dr. Hickman. Neither businesses, Committee members emphasized that county officials and employees are not being attacked personally. "It isn't their fault if the administrative system traps them in inefficiency. The capable workers we have now will go on performing the same service in the reorganized government, but they'll be organized better, duplication of effort will be eliminated, and efficiency will rise sharply," said Dr. Hickman. Committee members called on citizens to weigh carefully the credibility of those for and those against Proposition 2. On the "for" side is the unbiased Study Commission officially appointed under state law to take a hard look at Utah County government for the first time ever. They spent nearly two years of hard volunteer work going throughout the county learning what city officials and citizens felt needed churches, nor governments can be run efficiently unless responsibilities are pinned down specifically, and that simply cannot be done with the commission form of government, he continued. So far Utah County has been small enough that having good people running the government has made up for the poor system. Utility companies now project, however, that up to four times the' present population will live in the valley twenty-fiv- e years from now. "We know where most of those people are going to want, to settle," pointed out Mr. Clark. changing in the present government. None of those in "They'll go right into the county areas bordering present communities. Like it or not. that will almost certainly happen, and it will pose a gigantic problem for county government." Present problems of zoning, waste disposal, taxation, and roads are tiny compared with what is coming very soon. Can we meet the difficulties ahead with the inefficient, outmoded form of government which was intended to serve a rural, agricultural county which doesn't exist anymore? Charges that the new plan is intended to lead to "metro" government combining county and the cities is completely false, the spokesmen underlined. It is soing to be hard enough to bring county government as such under control they pointed out, without going to the unnecessary extreme of metropolitan unification. The committee's final point was that voters ought to consider the arguments carefully on both sides of Proposition 2. Already opponents have fogged the real issues by emotion-rousin- g labels like LEHI FREE PRESS THURSDAY. OCTOBER 2S, 1171 "radical." "higher costs." "dictatorship" and so on. "We welcome opposition; there must be opposition," noted Mr. Clark. "Without it citizens might never have found out there is a Proposition 2 on the ballot at all. But we do hope people will think clearly about matters and not get confused by last minute scare advertising." All the committee members say they are confident that county voters will see the wisdom in putting the principles of the U.S. Constitution to work improving local government. They think we should not expect Washington or Salt Lake City to listen better or be more efficient in spending tax money if we in our own area cannot put our own house in order. Proposition 2 needs a "For" vote to get on with it. When love and skill work together, expect a A Won Poo Is A Wtfe Ifor,000 1. Automatic pay increases for Congress. (SttHX2559) 2. Federal support for bankrupt cities. (SmKS 10481) 3. Giving away the Panama Canal. (SmHX8121) 4. Increasing the nations debt level. (See 10585) 5. 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