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Show HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY, UTAH Vol 73 No 10 30 cents April 10, 1991 Loss of revenue serious in Chuskatribe arrangement Mike Monson of the Utah State Tax Commission told commissioners Monday that the state is diligently pursuing the county matter of oil royalty pay- ments by Chuska Oil for oil and gas recovered in San Juan County. Currently, all royalties from producing Chuska wells in the county are be- ing paid to the Navajo Tribe through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The payments are made in accor- dance with a working agreement Chuska negoti- David and Karleah Lee of Blanding pose with their son Jaeger Allen, the first baby born at the Blanding Medical Center Birthing Center. Born April 3 at 5:13 and and measured 19.5 inches. Jaeger and his parents received numerous gifts from local merchants. p.m., Jaeger weighed Tony Wojcik photo CIB awards Monticello $240,000 grant grant from the Community Impact Board A $240,000 offers hope to ease the water shortage in Monticello. The money, awarded by the board on Thursday, will be used to explore and develop wells. The citys request for an additional $327,000 for distribution lines and other system improvements was put on hold until technical aspects of the project can be evaluated more closely b the board. While the members providing money, board questioned whether the city had explored all potential water sources before turning to the expensive project of drilling a deep well. Weve been looking for water since 1976, said, Mayor Jack Monticello referring to the major drought year when Monticello dug 20 wells. None yielded adequate water. However, a test well recently drilled on the city baseball field has located an adequate water supply in a rock stratum at about 400 feet. The water is needed immediately, Young said, because winter storms did not Young , replenish Monticellos res- ervoirs adequately. State Representative David Adams, added that the city could purchase additional water rights or develop potential storage sites, but solutions those long-terwill not help this year bem cause the spring runoff will be sparse. This (deep well) is the alternative. Either we do this or we dont drink, Adams said. He said Monticello recently acquired a new drill that allows the search for water to go beyond the shallow aquifers that proved inadequate in 1976. Even if the new well meets expectations, Mayor Young said conservation measures likely will be imposed for the third straight year. Outdoor watering was restricted last summer. Nobody in Monticello plants gardens. Lawns are drying up, Representative Adams said. Drought is something were painfully aware of. The Community Impact Board also provided financing to Helper and Spring City to alleviate water supply problems. Reprinted in part from an article in the Salt Lake Tribune. Jobs and wages Utahs average wage has gone from a high of 96 percent of the national average in 1981 to a current low of only 85 percent, according to The Utah Taxpayer . Per capita income figures reflect the combination of this drop with Utahs large average family size. Over the same period, per capita income has dropped from a high of 80 percent of the national average to a current low of 74 percent. Utah needs about 25,000 new jobs each year to ac- (Please turn to page 7) ated with the tribe. Utah Navajos, and state and county officials say the working agreement does not relieve Chuska from paying 37.5 percent of the royalties to the Navajo Oil Royalty Trust Fund established by Congress to benefit Utah Indians. The county and the state have filed an appeal with the Interior Board of Indian Appeals in Washington D. C. in an effort to start the flow of Chuska royalty money into the Navajo trust fund. Monson said the Chuska matter will be included in litigation in Washington this week. He said the state considers the matter serious. Not only are Utah Indians deprived of royalty revenues paid for oil taken from the Utah portion of the reservation, the matter impacts property, sales and corporate taxes from the local to the federal level, Monson said. Monson told commissioners it is within the countys jurisdiction to shut down operations of delinquent tax payers, a classification which might include Chuska and oil companies operating in the county. He advised commissioners to consult with the county attorney before taking any action. In another matter, Monson suggested a public hearing to educate tax payers about how tax equalization legislation passed by the 1991 Legislature will affect them. He said his office is willing to have someone at the hearing to explain the legislation. Bruce Bunker, county assessor, said he anticipates problems collecting the motor vehicle tax, which will increase in some cases by f percent. He said the increased rate will be especially unpopular with boat owners. He said he already has problems enforc one-hal- ing license compliance on boats, with resultant lost revenue to the county. In response, Monson suggested the county hire a person with an accounting background to be trained at the state tax office in the procedure for assessing state He also suggested the county hire a tax compliance deputy. He said properties. the additional revenue generated by a trained assessor and a compliance deputy would far exceed the costs of salaries for such employees. In other business, com- missioners learned that the 10th U.S. Circuit Court denied an appeal by environmental groups to stop con- struction of the Cal Black Airport at Halls Crossing. Commissioners will authorize construction to proceed and will authorize payment to the FAA. Aide Rick Bailey informed commissioners that when the Bluff fire building was erected it was built over the septic system. He said an appropriation for a new system will be needed. Commissioner Redd re- ported a request from a ican Hat resident who wants water purity checked at the community. Redd said there is a vacancy on the Mexican Hat Service Mex- District Board. After a report by Commissioner Redd on a meeting with Lee Bennett, U.S. Forest Service district ranger, commissioners authorized a letter asking the USES to realign its priorities to efit the local economy. ben- Commissioner Mark Maryboy said he spent a good deal of time this week on the annual budget for the Navajo Nation, which he hopes will be more fairly distributed for good causes to all chapters. had He reor- meetings regarding ganization of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, and improvements to baseball fields at Montezuma Creek and Bluff. Maryboy re- quested the commission write a letter to the Utah Department of Transportation asking for funds for fencing on McCracken Mesa. hired Commissioners Dennis Mayer as seasonal employee to work with Frank Morrell, fire warden, - hired Lynn Laws as county road foreman for the Blanding office, - hired Alan Freestone as dispatcher at the part-tim- e office of the sheriff, and - granted an travel request to a deputy to out-of-sta- te extradite a prisoner. Blanding making plans for recreation service district A delegation of Blanding officials asked commissioners on Monday to consider a special service district mission District man Johnson, recreation for II. ComNor- Blanding city manager; Keele Johnson and Jim Slavens, Blanding councilmen; and Cleal Bradford, director of the White Mesa Ute Council, told commissioners they want all recreational facilities to come under the control of one board, and to have someone in grounds. One of the delegates expressed concern over the process employed by the commission in choosing a new computer system for the public safety building. Commission Chairman Ty Lewis said the county advertises for bids and interested parties have the responsibility to secure specs. Medicaid or Medicare Complaint Line 1 800 3G8 5779 charge. Craig Halls, county attorney, outlined the procedure necessary to create a service district. The men said they hope to return to the April 15 commissioner meeting with the necessary legal compliance work done. The men also expressed an interest in having the old Blanding rodeo grounds included in the recreation No action was district. taken pending determination of who owns the rodeo The Bloodmobile will be here Wednesday, April 10 at Monticello Elementary School from 4 to 8 p.m. and Thursday, April 11 at Blanding Elementary School from 4 to 8 p.m. |