OCR Text |
Show T 90th Year Wednesday, December Price, Carbon County, Utah No. 100 rv- "l 62 16, 1981 opens first of 3 squeezes out tight budget Staff Writer so s A budget ComCarbon termed by County was missioner Lee Semken commission the by adopted Tuesday, calling for $5.02 million in revenue and expenditures. The commission pared $201,500 bare-bone- from the tentative figure recommended by ClerkAuditor Norman Prichard Nov. 25. Even so, the bottom line represents an increase of $1,287 million over the current-yea- r estimate on expenditures, the largest hike since 1978. That year, the budget was $2,393 million. It was $3,086 million in 1979 and $3,684 million in 1980, and an estimated $3,733 million in 1981. The county will end up this year with an estimated deficit of $46,242. SEUALG maps coal tax pitch "Southeastern Utah elected officials are drawing up their strategy for the coal severance tax battle to be played out in the state Legislatures January budget session. Southeastern The Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) has endorsed a bill proposed by Sen. Charles Bullen, which calls for a 2 percent severance tax. Composed of officials from Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan counties, the SEUALG executive board favors Bullens bill because it provides for a 14 n severance tax percent similar to the one provided in connection with the state sales tax. The board is pondering the most effective way to present the legislation to lawmakers. As currently drafted by Bullens staff, n measure is in a the from his proposed bill separate state severance tax. I wonder if it would be better tactically to tie the local severance tax to the same act as the state severance tax, Emery County Attorney Scott Johansen said in a memorandum to SEUALG local-optio- local-optio- (Continued on Page 3A) Prichard said there are no cushions built into the budget. In the past, he has allowed for one extra position in the County Clerks Office in case it became necessary, but had to abandon that practice. With this years levy already set at 16 mills, the highest allowed by state law, the county must count on a productive property tax yield. Included in the 1982 figure are funds of federal revenue-sharin- g Of that money, $5,000 will $250,000. be spent on rescue equipment, $40,000 on communications equipment, $30,000 on ambulance equipment, $34,000 on Sheriffs Department equipment, $70,000 on Road Department equipment, $35,000 on television equipment and $36,000 on voting machines. Of the various funds, $60,000 was allocated to the convention bureau, $94,172 to the Senior Citizens Center, $187,409 for the Senior Citizens nutrition program, $72,000 for the Fairgrounds Board, $421,000 for capital projects and $931,525 for the nursing home. Capital projects expenditures for the coming year include $25,000 for a grant match on a planned extension of the County Airport runway; $20,000 for maintenance orr - the old city county hospital building; and $376,000 for sewer, water and other improvements at the county Industrial Center on 0 south of Price. County voters resoundingly affirmed this year that they want to keep the existing County Nursing Home but it continues to be a heavy fiscal burden. It received an appropriation of The first mine of SCOFIELD the three-min- e Skyline coal project was officially opened by Coastal States Energy Corp. in dedication ceremonies at Eccles Canyon Friday. Coastal States is a subsidiary of The Coastal Corp. and is the operating partner in the $125 million joint venture with Getty Mining Co., a subsidiary of Getty Oil Co. More for 1982. combined $436,476.84, When that is with its deficit of it amounts to an ending balance of more than $1,368 million. Again, law enforcement and public safety will take the largest bite out of the budget. The Sheriffs Department was allocated $492,900, while ambulance service will cost $259,000. The County Jail gets $166,900. On the revenue side, various taxes account for ,$2,315 million with property taxes accounting for $2 million of that money. The rest is made up from licenses and permits; government grants; charges for service; fines and forfeitures; interest, rents and royalties; and contributions from the collector and class B road fur Is. the 28,700-square-fo- office-warehou- ot se complex. Coastal Corp. President left, joins H.E. Wendt, president, at Friday's Skyline Mines Harry Blomquist, Getty Mining Co. increase annually thereafter. Peak production has been projected at some five million tons a year by the early 1990s, at which time the three mines would employ a work force of 900. Coal reserves at the Skyline project are estimated at 270 million tons of high Btu, bituminous. low-sulfe- Vernal r, J. Mortensen, vice president of Coastal States Utah operations, hosted the dedicatory event. The program included a traditional champagne christening and tours of the mine facility. Mortensen said after the ceremony that few future employees will live in the surrounding area. Clear Creek-Scofiel- d We dont anticipate hardly anyone living in the Scofield area because of the lack of homes, schools and shopping centers, he said. We have a highway coming over the canyon from Sanpete County which will be done next year. Conveyors, coal crusher and truck loadout facilities are already handling coal from the Skyline! Mine. Photot by Don Vetter Mortensen said Sanpete County has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state and a (Continued on Page 2A) Court challenge looms Support grows By DON VETTER Staff Writer Salvos are being primed by Carbon County residents for the battle against the Utah House reapportionment plan which became law last week. The local charge began Thursday when the Carbon County Democratic Committee formed SOCCO (Save Our Carbon County Organization) to spearhead a court challenge against the bill. Carbon County Democratic Chairperson Catherine Peck said 72 in volunteers have already signed up to help. She said there still is a need for volunteers, no matter what political affiliation, to help with the effort. Its important that we let everyone know whats going on, Mrs. Peck said. What did happen is that the House reapportionment plan takes Carbonville, Spring Glen, Kenilworth and Helper and puts that part of the county with Sanpete County into one district. redistricting fight Attorney Stanley Litizzette said he would donate his legal services to challenge the plan in court. No definite decision has been reached as to which court we will redress the grievance, Litizzette said. The challenge could be mounted either in Utah Supreme Court, or in the federal courts, he said. Rep. Mike Dmitrich, and John Garr, Carbon, are forming a committee to raise money to cover some of the legal costs. st and Mrs. Santa spread holiday cheer 4 federal, state, 300 Coal production from the first of the three Skyline mines is expected to total 400,000 tons in 1982 and Mr. Wanda, left, and Red Johnson, alias Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, have the holiday habit of than county, company and local officials attended the ceremonies in U-1- $931,525 25c Skyline Commission By SCOTT LLOYD Pages Single Copy spreading Christmas cheer throughout Helper and Carbon County. Yes Virginia, HELPER there really is a Santa Claus and he lives in a neighborhood in Helper with Mrs. Santa Claus and Rudolph. Red and Wanda Johnson, alias Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, have been offering themselves to clubs, organizations, churches and parties to entertain children for four years. Ringing bells and jolly ho, ho, hos, abound as Mr. Johnson enters the scene in his magnificent costume complete with long white beard, large round belly and big cherry cheeks. Mrs. Johnson said the children are especially taken in with her because its not too often they get to meet Mrs. Santa Claus. For a fee between $10 and $25, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus (and Rudolph) sing Christmas carols, listen to childrens vast lists of desired toys, give treats and even pose for pictures. After displaying a loaded calendar of tentative bookings, including Christmas Eve, the Johnsons are not only spreading Christmas cheer but adding a bit of spirit to their own lives. It wouldnt seem like Christmas if we didnt portray the Gaus each year, Wanda said. Red ij a retired mine foreman and Wanda formerly owned seven beauty salons in Colorado Springs. They first became interested in their project when Wanda portrayed Mrs. Santa in a shopping mall in Colorado. We like to make kids happy," she said. Were not talking thousands of dollars, but hundreds in order to cover things like transportation, Dmitrich said. Dmitrich and Garr will have to run against each other in the 1982 election because of the way the bill sets up the districts. Dmitrich told Democrats last week that the bill tries to hold up to n the concept at the expense of rural areas in the one-ma- one-vo- te state. He said that in Wyoming, the House district plans allows almost up to a 34 percent variance on the ideal population per district, while Utah strictly maintains only a 4 percent variance. Dmitrich said the reapportionment plan puts west Carbon County in a district that could not elect a local candidate. The Helper division of Carbon comprises an estimated 4,629 d voters with the portion of Emery consisting of 1,813 voters. Ephraim and Mt. Pleasant contain a whopping 12,387 voters. Emery County has yet to respond with the early thrust shown by Carbon County. The plan that Gov. Scott M. Matheson allowed to become law without his signature not only puts Cleveland-Elm- o in Sanpete County, but places Ferron, Castle Dale, Orangeville and Huntington with Sevier County. The eastern part of Emery County is together with Price and East Carbon in the new District 70. Dmitrich said he feels once Carbon County residents place a challenge in court, Emery, Tooele and Box Elder groups should join Elmo-Gevelan- in. Most of Box Elder and Tooele counties have been grouped in one district under the redistricting (Continued on PageSA) |