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Show ( . BOX- - ELDER 0 SqgdddO sCqofq How much federal money will be flowing into Box Elder county during the next four of virtue the $25.6 billion revenueyears by sharing bill passed by Congress? For what purposes may this money be used? According to data released by the Treasury department, during the forthcoming year alone, some $37 million of this sum will be going to the state of Utah and to its various communities. For Box Elder county and for the localities within the county, the proportionate share of this total, assuming an even distribution within the state along population lines, figures out to approximately $912,000. That is soley for 1977. Apportionments will be made at the same rate in 1978 and 1979 and up to September 30, 1980. It will carry through right up to the next presidential election. The $25.6 billion payout, it is noted, represents a new high in revenue sharing. It is $150 million more per year than at the present time. The extent to which the states and their communities will share in these billions varies considerably. The funds have been allptted, the Treasury department states, with regard to income and relative need. As a result, the range age is $31.49. In Box Elder county capita. budgeting, Sunset laws for better or worse? ' programs and activities that Many governmental units across the nation are examining the possibility of adopting zero- -' base budgeting and sunset laws as a means of controlling rising government costs. This was reported by Utah Foundation, the private research agency. budgeting is a technique where government Zero-bas- e departments and agencies periodically must justify their entire appropriation request before the legislative body. Unless the agencys worth is sustained through this reexamination process, programs and activities can be eliminated or curtailed. Presently, budgetary procedures in most governmental units require that the spending agencies have to justify only the increases in their budgets above the level of the preceding year. ! Another TcHnjite Sunset laws, which are a budcounterpart to zero-bas- e gets, are another technique to force regular review of government programs. Under the sunset approach, agencies and program shave fixed termination dates. Unless the agency can justify its continued exis- tence before the legislative body, it is automatically eliminated. Thus, by setting specified expiration dates, lawmakers are compelled to reexamine and reenact or reject every program periodic intervals. Foundation analysts point out few years, approximately a dozen states have enacted zero-bas- e budgeting and sunset laws. In addition, legislatures in at least a half dozen more states are examining the concept. In all likelihood, the zero-bas- e budgeting concept also will be considered by the federal government when Congress convenes in January. that during the past Reason for Popularity According to the Foundation report, the popularity of zero-bas- e budgeting and sunset legislation during the past few years has been prompted by rising expenditures and growing governmental bureaucracy. The new techniques have been developed to reappraise and weed out those government . no longer may be needed or whose costs clearly exceed the benefits derived. The Foundation study observed that experts are divided as to what can be accomplished by zero-bas- e budgeting and sunset laws. , Backers of the proposals claim that it is the best way to cut government costs and give citizens more and better service for their tax dollar. Critics, on the other hand, maintain that while the idea sounds good in theory it will generate mountains of additional paper work and never actually is from a low of $24.43 per capita, in Florida, to a high of $42.86, in Mississippi. The national aver- Zero-base- d i Soil work in practice. budProponents of zero-bas- e geting and sunset laws contend that this action is needed to identify overlapping, duplicative and obsolete government programs, and to take the necessary steps to prune such deadwood from the budget. They also advance the following arguments: It is a technique frequently used by private business to control costs. It makes every program and activity of government on its own merits. It provides the basic information needed to rearrange program priorities. stand provides a means for identifying and consolidating or eliminating programs that duplicate or overlap each other. Opposition Arguments budOpponents of zero-bas- e maintain laws sunset and geting that government agencies would bog down under the added work load that would be created by periodic reviews of programs and activities. Included among the arguments presented by the opponents are the following: It would greatly lengthen and complicate the budgetary process.. It would require added staffing of budget personnel in the executive budget office and the legislative body. e It would hamper planning. It would create delays which might impair the work of limited-tim- e legislative bodies, such as are found in many states including Utah. The Utah Foundation study concludes that the final evaluation of zero-bas- e budgeting and sunset legislation is not yet in. The report notes that the technique has much potential merit, but the experience tc date has been extremely limited as to how the concept will work in actual practice. ' long-rang- Big Storms Hurricanes have been classified as the greatest storms on earth. No other types of storms can match the combined intensity, size, duration and destructiveness of the hurricane. Hurricane season runs from June through September in this country. In the last 10 years, 13 hurricanes have reached the continental United States, leaving 504 dead and destroying more than $5.4 billion in property. it is $30.91 per Ogded(s is m the number one spot. It will receive four times more, per capita, than San Diego, which will get the least. How is this money to be used? Up to the could be for Among the 50 largest cities, Chicago present time, expenditures . specific kinds of public programs only. The net result was that more than a third of the funds have been going for police and fire protection. Another 16 percent has been used to improve public transportation systems. Beginning Jan 1, however, all such limitations will be off. Under the new bill, the money may go for any civic purpose desired. The only restriction is that there be no discrimination because of race, religion,, sex, age or national origin. NEWS;- Brigham City, - Utah Sunday1, November 28, 1976 Assessment rate ). (Continued from Page 1) Sevier county is even lower at 8.05 percent and Sanpete county is pegged at just 6.31 percent. Kerr said all three of these counties are scheduled to be revalued this year. By contrast, Utah county was done this year and property there is assessed at 19.28 percent of its fair market value. Salt Lake county which is now being revalued and which represents about half of the states valuation, is presently assessing at 10.99 percent, according to Kerr. Neighboring Cache county which was done one year after Box Elder, is down to 16.40 percent. It appears that statewide, inflation is Swa t lessening the rate at which property is assessed when compared with its fair, 4 market value at about 1.5 percent annually, the county official said. He hastened to point out that farmlands are not included in the figures ft since these fall under Utah!s greenbelt provision which provides for assessment based on productive value rather than fair market value. The assessor said new homes and other property in Box Elder county continue to be assessed on the 1974 pricing schedule even though their actual value is higher to retain uniformity. We have a responsibility that every- - one pay else, J . . i ; .... . on the same basis as everyone he explained. That is, it wouldnt be fair for one neighbor to pay on a higher assessment than another although their homes have the same market value. He noted also that state law actually requires that property be assessed at 30 percent of its fair market value, not 20 percent. But this was considered too great a jump and 20 percent was accepted as a compromise. Meanwhile, utilities which have been assessed at 30 percent, have been decreased at a gradual rate until now they are about 26 percent and falling, Kerr explained. |