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Show Commissioners approve county pay increase by Carl Eisemann Juan County commischose sioners Monday to discount public opposition to salary increases as expressed by the majority of those testifying at a San January 16 public hearing on salary increases and voted two to one for a 4.1 percent (one step) raise for employees and a five percent increase for elected officials. Commissioners Calvin Black and Ken Bailey feel it is unfair Two scenes for the price of one--d- ue to a heavy rain. A. to withhold county raises since other public agencies are granting raises. They contend that since no opposition to raises was voiced at the recent budget hearings and local people have not objected to school district, city, or state raises, the county employees should not be penal- Reiner The Sami Juan Record HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY, UTAH Vol. 66 No. 50 25 cents ized. Commissioner Jerry Holliday stated that county employees are good employees but the present economy does not justify raises. January 30, 1985 San Juan officials ask state for Truth in Taxation legislation Government officials in San Juan County have appealed to the governor and the state legislature for Truth in Taxation legislation to replace mill levy maximums with wider public disclosure of action affecting property tax in Utah A resolution submitted to Governor Norman Bangerter and the Legislature last week stated that residential and commercial property (locally can no longer bear the of property tax inburden creases and wo demands that ed new formulas for be developed... properties The resolution also asks that as-ess- ed) state-assess- "... these formulas meet the constitutional requirements for uniform and equal assessment. (2) According to the resolution, the ability of the county to function and politically is financially threatened by its inability to raise revenues to meet the cost of state mandated programs that have been transferred to the county. The resolution asks the governor and state legislators to address the problem by: (1) establishing Truth in Taxation legislation to replace mill levy maximums with wider public disclosure of property tax actions; Recodification Commission; (3) make sure that statistical data is truly reflective of the current market situation; (4) fund an adequate assessment and audit of such state assessed properties Eight principals want district office moved by Jody Bailey The San Juan Board of Education discussed but did not act last Monday on a recommendation by eight school principals to consider moving the district offices from Monticello toBlanding. The recommendation was brought before the board in the form of an letter presented by undated Commission briefs On Monday, January 28, San Juan County commissioners: approved a $11,300 contract with MayCom to upgrade the courthouse phone system, assigned A1 Haskins, administrative aide, to work with the city of Monticello in preparing an Energy Impact Grant request for the construction of an airport building, approved a contract with Field Consultants in the amount of $2,930 for a software computer package to be used at the San Juan Nursing Home, and, heard a report from Commissioner Ken Bailey that the position of county road superintendent has been eliminated. Bernal Bradford will now serve as the countys south foreman and Mens Hugentobler will serve as the countys north foreman. Preston Nielson, board president. The letter signed by Herbert Frazier, James Harris, Mitchell Kalauli, Mark Peterson, Peter Henderson, Albert Kuipers, Bill esLong and Truman Rigby sentially stated that they feel it is no longer possible to efficiently administer the school district from Monticello. The principals contend that ... with the addition of two new high schools in the southern portion of the school district, the Blanding site would be more readily accessible to all schools and would better serve the needs of the students, staff and constituency of these schools. The principals also contend that travel costs wouldbe greatly reduced both for the district administrative personnel who regularly visit schools and for those who are receiving services from the district office. They claim that the time saved by having a more central location would be significant. All the principals who signed the letter are assigned to schools in southern San Juan County. The San Juan Junior High School building has been suggested as the relocation site. President N ielson said the subject would be discussed again in the future. appoint local persons with experience in taxation to the Utah TaxCommissionandtheTax as utilities, railroads, and mines; (5) identify alternative sources of revenue; and (6) assure that state mandated programs pro- vide sufficient revenue for the county to carry out the mandate. Calvin Black Commissioner said that unless counties get legislative relief, they will be He maintains that in trouble. San if even Juan County lowered its mill tax to accommodate a 24 percent increase in local assessments, the biggest benefit would accrue to state assessed properties. Black contends that state-assess- ed properties are grossly under assessed and over depreciated in comparison to private property. In addition said Black, we in the rural areas are faced with a crisis created by the demand of urban counties that population be a major factor in allocating state and federal funds. If this occurs, San Juan County could have its road allocation reduced from $1.3 to one-ha- lf million, Black said. Bruce Shumway, director of San Juan County Social Services, At a recent supports Black. of county commismeeting sioners, Shumway presented a Association of Counties resolution which would designate county com missions as local drug and alcohol authority. According to Shumway, such a move would shift programs to the county without giving them any real authority. Shumway said such a move would also require more county funding and allocate more state funds to highly populated areas. to Black and According Shumway, it costs more to deliver services to fewer people in lightly populated areas, than it costs to deliver the same services in heavy population centers. Utah The commissioners gave final approval of their response to the Canyonlands Park Backcountry Management Plan in which they voiced objections to the additional restrictions on park usage as proposed in the plan. Copies of the response are being sent to the Department of Interior, the Utah congressional delegation, and National Park Service personnel. The commissioners authorized aide A1 Haskins to enter San Juan Countys $4 million trust fund program in the National Association of Counties award competition. Decision on the formation of a Bluff special service district was deferred pending a report sometime within the next six monthsof a newly organized Bluff Special Service District committee. The committee is composed of seven persons selected by a straw vote in a recent Bluff town meeting. Preplanning analysis plan approved by BLM preplanning analysis has rebeen approved by the cently Bureau of Land Management as part of the San Juan Resource Management Plan (RMP). The new master plan is being prepared to guide administration of public lands and resources in most of San Juan County, Utah. The preplanning analysis is a preliminary document which lists the steps that will be followed in preparing the new plan, and the topics that will be covered. The RMP is scheduled for completion in 1987 and is anticipated to remain in effect for A Employees without W-- 2 Employees who have not received a W-- 2, Wage and Tax Statement, by February 1 should contact their employer to be sure the employer has the correct address, the Internal Revenue Service says. Even if an employee is unable to get a W-- 2 before the tax filing deadline, the return must be filed by April 15. The IRS reminds taxpayers that they must have a W-- 2 from every employer, or a substitute. If it is impossible to obtain a W-- 2 from an employer by February 15, the employee should call their local IRS office at least 10 years. The RMP will be analyzed in an accompanying environmental The impact statement (EIS). EES will examine planning issues, or questions regarding BLM management of public resources. These were developed after considering public comment which offered ideas on the scope of topics to be covered in the RMP and EES. The preplanning analysis is available to the public, upon request, from the San Juan Resource Area Office, 480 South 100 West, Monticello, Utah. advised to contact IRS at They must have the name and complete address of the employer, the amount of wages approximate paid and the dates of employment. IRS will initiate an inquiry to the employer to assist in obA letter will be taining the W-- 2. provided to the employee which provides instructions for using Form 4852, Substitude Wage and Withholding Statement, or a statem ait blowand dated signed tax withholding inforing the mation for the missing W-- 2, when they file their income tax toll-fr- ee return. Tentative agreement reached on pipeline El Paso Natural Gas Company and the Navajo Nation have reached tentative agreement on the renewal of El Pasos pipeline easements across the Navajo Reservation in Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. The renewal would require El Paso to pay approximately $1.35 million a year for a ar period with initial payment of $2 million at the time the agreement is signed by Navajo Tribal Chariman Peterson Zah. Zah and Richard S. Morris, president of El Paso Natural Gas 20-ye- Company, announced the tentative approval of the agreement. Zah said the renewal will be considered by the Navajo Tribal Council during its winter session which began January 29. El Paso has a variety of facili- ties on theNavajo Reservation but the renewal agreement affects only the natural gas transmission and gathering pipelines. As part of the agreement, El Paso can make a limited expansion of its gas gathering system. There are also seven compressor stations on the reservation which employ Navajos in their op- erations but these stations are subject to separate agreements. The present easement agreements will expire in 1986. |