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Show " PRES OMH STATE AST EAST it 300 SO. cnii tiTAU 84li 1 THURSDAY, AUG. 4, 1977 VOLUME NUMBER TWENTY SEVENTY-NIN- E $ I t WE DONT feel it is By GARY R. BLODGETT Clearfield City Council has postponed until August 23 a decision to sign a franchise agreement with Mountain Fuel Supply Company. REASON FOR the delay is to study a proposal to impose a utility tax on residential and commercial use of natural gas. There is presently no tax on natural gas being served in the city, but some' Utah communities do impose a utility tax. For example, Salt Lake City has a 6 percent tax, Ogden imposes a 4 percent tax, and Brigham City levies a 2 percent utility tax. fair to collect the citys taxes especially when the cus- tomers will look at the increased billing and blame us (Mountain Fuel) for the raised rates, said Mr. Burbidge. But the gas company cant object to collecting the tax and will collect it (tax) either on a monthly or quarterly basis. Based on a two percent gas tax for 1976 gas bills, the city would receive an additional $22,400, according to the councils tabulations. IT MIGHT be a means of meeting the city employees' demands for higher wages, said Mayor O. Ross Sanders. Theres no question but what the city could use the money derived from such a taxation. CLEARFIELD has until August 1978 to renew the franchise, but P.R. Burbidge, representing the Mountain Fuel Supply Company, said the firms policy is to renew these long-teragreements early and asked the council to act as soon as possible. The council agreed to postpone the decision until the August 23 meeting when a full quorum of council members would be present. Two councilmen were absent. In days gone past it might have been horses that young men used to dash about the hills. And though horses are as popular as ever, today it might be a bicycle on which riders fly into the air, enjoying a warm summer day. Enjoy it. Schools coming. AIRBORNE Conservation of water by sers of the Weber Basin ifater Conservancy District is paying off in big dividends. WAYNE M. Winegar, dis- trict manager, said that efforts to conserve water will now make it possible for farmers to mature late crops. At the beginning of the summer it was questionable, even doubtful, that farmers would have sufficient water to mature late crops of hay, corn and sugar beets, said Mr. Winegar. Now this seems' e, Utah. THE committee was appointed by the State Governor, Scott Matheson. The purpose of this committee is to represent the interests of the residents and HE cautioned, however, that everyone must continue to conserve water. The summer is a long way from being over. We must keep up our conservation efforts, he said. I want to a $4,724,500 depot aircraft maintenance hangar which will be used eventually for the flight test phase of the 6 program. Builder is H.C. Smith Construction of Great Falls, Mont. n .. .in THE WEEKLY REFLEX 197 B" North Main St. Layton Phone small commercial consumers with respect to their gas, electrical and telephone utilities. John StaNa. Jr- - PubHshar Sacond Class Postage Paid At Layton, Utah SUBSCRIPTION $4.50 per year Out of Stats Subscription 5.50 Orarsaas Subscription SI 500 (Payable In Advance) ing. for the residential consumer and small business consumer in representing their interests THE city council decided to deny an offer from Don Johannesen for a three-yea- r contract for service which would amount to about three times per year for three years. before the public service commission. This committee was created during the 1977 legislature, and is a volunteer service, np of Mr. Johannesen, president the company now providing street-sweepe- service to r Layton on an on-cal- l" basis, said that a three-yea- r agreement with the city BUT Councilman Robert Austad said he felt the city COMPLETION is planned for the fall of 1978. Up to 80 percent of the work will be done by local officials at Hill said that the F-hangar will hold up to 18 Phantom jets being prepared for flight testing THE HANGAR will be used when they begin for the arriving at Hill AFB for 4 the new lightweight fighters can be Eighteen g would enable him to purchase a new sweeper. Maintenance Directorate of accommodated in the structure at one time. THE BUILDING will contain 84,300 square feet and will be 50 feet high, 279 feet wide and 359 feet long. It will be built of steel and concrete block. The new facility will replace a structure of World War II vintage. could save money by buying its own sweeper, which costs about $45,000 but with care should last 12 to 15 years. Cost of the thrice-yearlservice by Mr. Johannesens company would be about $28,000, it was explained y street-sweepin- THE committee will invoke hence. PubHahad Waakly by CUPPER PUBLISHING CO. g Via COUNCIL members finally agreed to meet with Mr. Johannesen to discuss all costs - maintenance and operation in addition to purchase price - and to discuss a possible contract for a year at a time, grb Definition Inflation Receiving II donuts when you buy a baker's dozen News, Charleston, S C Beil Has A New Statement new service is being provided by Mountain Bell to their customers Once a year an itemized statement will be sent showing a detailed breakdown of rates for local services and equipment, according to Utah Public Relations Manager Ken Hill. A THE BILL will include the cost of local service and equipment, such as the monthly rate for a telephone line, extension phones and the tax municipal charges Hill went on to say, "This is a good way for our customers MAYOR SANDERS said a study is being made of employee salaries to align salaries in Clearfield with those of similar jobs elsewhere. The council also set the citys property tax mill levy at 11.77 mills, the same as a year ago, but not sufficient to meet salary demands. A request of an additional mill levy was declined. MAYOR SANDERS said the additional mill could be designated for employee salaries and used only if the salary study and used only if the indicates a need city does not adopt a utility tax. HOME owners were generally limited to watering four hours a week this summer, grb Street Sweeping Service For Layton Denyed service in Layton is going to have to wait, at least for the time be- maintenance several years 376-91- 33 obeying the water Street-sweepin- Hangar Started Construction has started on the general public for their sacrifices in possible. Felshaiv King Appointed Chaim Of Committee Attorney Felshaw King of 761 Sherwood Drive, Kays-villwas appointed as chairman of a five member committee to be known as the Committee of Consumer Services" for the state of compliment MR. BURBIDGE said about a dozen cities have some type of taxation connected with the utility. Some have a franchise tax, gross revenue tax, a license fee, or a combination of the three. If approved, the tax would be collected by Mountain Fuel through its monthly billing and the amount of the tax would appear on the bill under city tax. Mr. Burbidge said the taxation could be implemented into the franchise any time and urged the council to decide soon on franchise. the r to verify equipment with actual billing " CUSTOMER bills may not be affected immediately because different telephone will numbers receive itemized statements on a rotating, monthly basis In case customers make changes in their telephone service during the year, they will a receive similar itemization with the next bill THE itemized service billing will be provided for residenregular, single-lintial and business customers By GARY R. BLODGETT Davis County Commission Tuesday increased the county flood control mill levy by 1.55 mills, thus giving the county an overall tax boost of 1.20 mills over a year ago. EARLIER, THE commission upped the library levy by making a total increase of 2.20 mills. 45 mill, Commissioners explained that this years county mill levy is 11.83, compared to 9 63 the previous year. ON A "per home basis," the additional 2.20 county levy increase will amount to about $17 60 per year on a home valued at $40,000. But this is only part of the overall picture," said Commissioner Glen W. Flint in defense of the mill increase. "The Davis School District upped its levy about four mills and they dont get half the flack we, as a county, get when as much. we raise our levy one-half JACK OLSON, director of Utah Taxpayers Association, urged the commission to hold the line at 1.83 mills total that being the amount needed to have a increase balanced budget. "The 2 20 mill levy approved by the commission, however, will provide more money than anticipated expenditures and we of the Taxpayers Association dont like to see this," said Mr. Olson Wed much rather see a reduction in taxes and Im sure the taxpayers would too." BUT THE commissioners agreed that the money is needed now to do flood control work throughout the county. "Improvements are badly needed in our flood control program and we should be getting alot of this work done as quickly as possible, said Commissioner Flint. "I propose that we increase the levy to 2.20 mills." The commission unanimously agreed The budget, as approved last December (Davis County is on an annual, rather than a fiscal-yea- r budget system ) totals $7,191,566. increase for munities said they would support a flood control. The commission also discussed ways that money in the general fund might be used to help pay costs of an addition to the County Courthouse. COUNTY CLERK Rodney K. Walker said it might be possible to use general fund money for the new addition and use revenue sharing funds already approved to supplement the general fund. We could consider taking money from one or two major departments within the county government structure such as the sheriffs department, clerk's office, etc. for the building project and supplement these departments with revenue sharing funds," he said. THIS MATTER, however, ended in discussion only and noofficial action was taken. Commissioner Flint said the first phase of construction is expected to cost about $800,000 with the total remodeling job estimated at $1 2 million. MR. OLSON said some neighboring cities and counties are in much worse financial status than in Davis County. Weber County, for example, jumped from 14.71 to the maximum 16 mills and are still carrying a deficit, he not- ed. In other commission action, commissioners were advised that MOWEDA (juvenile retention center for Morgan, Weber and Davis counties ) has a basement that could be used as a central holding area for juveniles up to 48 hours. COMMISSIONER William Moss read a letter from the director of MOWEDA stating that the basement has outside entrances and exits and juveniles taken to the center could be held in this (basement ) area and evaluated before being placed into the shelter or released. Also, the commission was advised by Carl Chappell, director of the Davis County Chapter, Community Action r program Program, that the local chapter has a families. approved for insulation of homes of one-yea- low-inco- OF THIS amount, $6,315,720 is for the general fund, for library operation; $427,203 (not including revenue from the increased mill levy) for flood control; and $161,736 for the hospital. Commissioners said the flood control mill increase was necessary because this department is more than $38,000 in the red. The library fund levy was also upped this year because that department, too, showed a deficit last year of $448,643 $37,000 e COMMISSIONER Flint said that mayors of the com HE SAID the program has been granted $35,000 (for e labor only) to pay four employees to insulate homes. He said doors, windows, attics, etc., of a maximum of $350 can be spent on any one home and that the average should be about $200 per home. The four employees doing the work, which started last month and continues one year, are of long-terunemployment. He said the monies are obtained through Title VI, Section 608 of the Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA) passed in 1974. full-tim- low-inco- |