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Show PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NUMBER EIGHT. PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT to Article 13 of the constitution of the the State of Utah, relating to revenue and taxation. Be it resolved by the legislature of the State of Utah, twe thirds of all members elected to each of the two houses concurring therein: Section 1. It is proposed to amend Article 13 f Constitution of the State of Utah, o ,hat the same will read as follows: 1. The power of taxation shall never be surrendered, suspended, or contracted away. All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property prop-erty within the territorial limits of the authority levying the tax, and shall be levied and collected for public purposes pur-poses only. 2. The Legislature shall provide by law for an annual tax sufficient, with other sources of revenue, to defray the estimated ordinary expenses of the State for each fiscal year. For the purpose of paying the Slate debt, if any there be, the Legislature shall provide for levying a tax annually, sufficient to pay the annual interest and principal of such debt, within twenty years from the final passage of the law creating the debt. 3. There shall be exempt from taxation tax-ation property of the United States, of the State, counties, cities, towns. school districts, municipal corporations and public libraries, lots with the buildings thereon used exclusively for either religious worship or charitable purposes, pur-poses, and places of burial not held or used for private or corporate benefit. ben-efit. Ditches, canals, reservoirs, pipes and flumes owned and used by individuals indi-viduals or corporations for irrigating lands owned by such individuals or corporations, or the individual members mem-bers thereof, shall not be separately taxed so long as they shall be owned and used exclusively for such purpose; provided that mortgages upon real and personal property shall be exempt from taxation; and that the taxes of the indigent poor may be remitted or abated at such time and in such manner man-ner as may be provided by law. 4. The Legislature shall not impose im-pose taxes for the purpose of any county, city, town, or other municipal corporation, but may, by law, vest in the corporate authorities thereof, respectively, re-spectively, the power to assess and collect taxes for all purposes of such corporation. 5. The surface ground of all mines and mining claims, both placer and rock in place, containing or bearing gold, silver, copper, lead, iron or other valuable metals, after purchase thereof there-of from the United States, shall be taxed at a value not greater than the price paid the United States therefor, unless the surface ground, or some part thereof, of such mine or claim, is used for other than mining purposes, pur-poses, and has a separate and independent in-dependent value for such other purposes; pur-poses; in which case said surface ground, or any part thereof, so used for other than mining purposes, shall be taxed at its value for such other purposes as provided by law; anil all machinery used in mining, and all property and surface improvements upon or appurtenant to mines and mining claims. which have a value separate sep-arate and independent of such mines and mining claims, shall be taxed as provided by law. All lands containing ciial. granite, stone, marble, onyx, gas, oil, hydro-carbons, gypsum, or other valuable mineral deposits, other titan those enumerated above in this section, sec-tion, after purchase thereof from the United States and all property surface improvements upon or appurtenant ap-purtenant to such lands which have a value separate and independent of al such lands shall be taxed as provided by law In addition to the assessment of the surface grounds, improvements and machinery of mines and mining claims, all mines and mining c aims producing net proceeds shall be taxed at a value not to exceed tnree times such net proceeds. 6 An accurate statement of the receipts and expenditures of the public pub-lic moneys shall be published annually annu-ally in such manner as the Legislature may provide. 7 The rate of taxation on property proper-ty for State purposes shall never exceed ex-ceed eight mills on each dollar of valuation val-uation to be apportioned as follows: Not to exceed four and one-halt mills on each dollar of valuation for general gener-al State purposes; not to exceed three mills on each dollar of valuation for district school purposes; not to exceed one-half mill on each dollar of valuation valua-tion for high school purposes; that part of the State tax apportioned to hih school purposes shall constituU a fund to be called the "high school fund" and shall be apportioned to the cities and school districts maintaining high schools in the manner the Legislature Legis-lature may provide. And whenever the taxable property within the StaU shall amount to Four Hundred Million Dollars, the rate shall not exceed five mills on each dollar of valuation; unless un-less a proposition to increase such rate, specifying the rate proposed and the time during which the same shall be levied, be first submitted to a vote of such of the qualified electors of the State as, in the year next preceding such election, shall have paid a property prop-erty tax assessed to them within the State, and the majority of those voting vot-ing thereon shall vote in favor thereof, there-of, in such manner as may be provided provid-ed by law. 8. The making of profit out of public moneys, using the same for any purpose not authorized by law, by any public officer, shall be deemed a felony, fel-ony, and shall be punished as provided provid-ed by law, but part of such punishment punish-ment shall be disqualification to hold , public office. 9. No appropriation shall be made, I or any expenditure authorized by the i Legislature, whereby the expenditures of the State, during any fiscal year. I shall exceed the total tax then provided provid-ed by law, and applicable for such appropriation or expenditure, unless the Legislature making such appropriation, appro-priation, shall provide for levying a sufficient tax, not exceeding the rates allowed in Section 6 of litis article, tu pay such appropriation or expenditure expendi-ture within such fiscal year. This provision pro-vision shall not appi to appropriations appropria-tions or expenditures to suppress insurrections, in-surrections, defend the State, or assist as-sist in defending the United Stales in time of war. 10. Nothing in this constitution shall be construed to prevent the Legislature Leg-islature from providing a stamp tax. or a tax based on income, occupation, licenses or franchises. Sec. 2. The Secretary of State is hereby ordered to give this proposition proposi-tion to be published in at least one newspaper in every county in th state where a newspaper is printed and published for two months preceding preced-ing the next general election. Sec. 3 This propositin shall be sub-milted sub-milted to the electors of this Stale at the next general election for their ap-roval ap-roval or disapproval. All official ballots used at such election shall have printed or written thereon the words, "For the amendment of Article Artic-le 13 of the Constitution, relating to taxation," "Yes," "No," and shall otherwise be prepared and submitted to the electors as may be otherwise provided by law, and said ballot shall be received, counted, and canvassed, and returns thereon be made in the same manner and in all respects as in or may be provided by law in the case of election of State officers. Section 4. If adopted by the electors elect-ors of the State, this amendment shall take effect January 1, 1917. Approved March 20th, 1915. State of Utah, Secretary of State's Offiee. 1, David Mattson, Secretary of State of the State of Utah, do hereby certify cer-tify that the foregoing is a full", true and correct copv of SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NUMBER EIGHT proposing an amendment to Article 13 of the Constitution of the State of Utah, relating to revenue and taxation, taxa-tion, as appears of record in my office. of-fice. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto here-unto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the Slate of Utah, this 2 2d day of August, 1916. DAVID MATTSON, Secretary of State. First pub. Sept. 2 last Nov. 4, 1916 |