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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 -rticle 13 f M 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 authoritv 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 State debt, if any there be, the Legislature shall provide for levying a tax annually, mfficient 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 tax-ition tax-ition 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. 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 axed at a value not greater than the price paid the United Slates therefor, linless the surface ground, or some part thereof, of such mine or claim, s 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 othur than mining purposes, shall be taxed at its value for such other purposes as provided by law; and 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 anci mining claims, shall be taxed as provided l.y law. All lands containing coal, granite, stone, marble, onyx, gas, oil, hydro-carbons, gypsum, or other valuable mineral deposits, other than those enumerated above in this section, sec-tion, after purchase thereof from the United States and all property and surface improvements upon or appurtenant ap-purtenant to such lands which have a value separate and independent of all such lands shall be taxed as provided by law. In addition to the assessment of the surface grounds, improvement, and machinery of mines and mininp claims, all mines and mining claims producing net proceeds shall be taxed at a value not to exceed three timet such net proceeds. 6 An accurate statement of tlu 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 ex-ceed ex-ceed eight mills on each dollar of valuation val-uation to be apportioned as follows Not to exceed four and one-half null, 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; thai part of the State tax apportioned to I high school purposes shall constitute 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 Legis -lature may provide. And whenever the taxable property within the btat-shall btat-shall amount to Four Hundred Millior, Dollars, the rate shall not exceed fiv mills on each dollar of valuation; unless un-less a proposition to increase sucn rate, specifying the rate proposed anri the time during which the same shai be levied, be first submitted to a vote of such of the qualified electors of instate in-state as, in the year next preceding such election, shall have paid a property prop-erty tax assessed to them within thr 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 o: public moneys, using the same for an; purpose not authorized by law, by an;, 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 hole public office. 9. No appropriation shall be mad- ! or any expenditure authorized by th-Legislature, th-Legislature, whereby the expenditure-of expenditure-of the State, during any fiscal year shall exceed the total tax then provid ed by law, and applicable for su. r. appropriation or expenditure, units; the Legislature making such appro priation, shall provide for levying t sufficient tax, not exceeding the rate-allowed rate-allowed in Section 6 of this article, t pay such appropriation or expend: ture within such fiscal year. This prevision pre-vision shall not app;..' to appropna tions or expenditures to suppress insurrections, in-surrections, defend the State, or as sist in defending the United States it time of war. 10. Nothing in this constitutor shall be construed to prevent the Legislature Leg-islature from providing a stamp tax or a tax based on income, occupatioi licenses or franchises. Sec. 2. The Secretary of State i-hereby i-hereby ordered to give this propus, tion to be published in at least on newspaper in every county in th-state th-state where a newspaper is printi and published for two months prece': ing the next general election. Sec. 3 This propositin shall be su! mitted to the electors of this State a the next general election for their ui-roval ui-roval or disapproval. All officii ballots used at such election shal have printed or written thereon th words, "For the amendment of Artk le 13 of the Constitution, relating t taxation," "Yes," "No," and sha. otherwise be prepared and submiue to the electors as may be otherwis-provided otherwis-provided by law, and said ballot shai: be received, counted, and canvaswo and returns thereon be made in tin same manner and in all respects a-in a-in or may be provided by law in th case of election of State officers. Section 4. If adopted by the elect ors of the State, this amendment sha take effect January 1, 1917. Approved March 20th, 1915. State of Utah, Secretary of State-Office. State-Office. 1, David Mattson, Secretary of Stat of the State of Utah, do hereby certify cer-tify that the foregoing is a full, ira and correct copy of SENATE JOIN. RESOLUTION NUMBER E1GHT-proposing E1GHT-proposing an amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution of the State Utah, relating to revenue and taxation, taxa-tion, as appears of record in my office. of-fice. In Witness Whereof, I have here unto set my hand and affixed th Great Seal of the State of Utah, in-22d in-22d day of August, 1916. DAVID MATTSON. Secretary of Stat' First pub. Sept. 2 last Nov. 4, 191 |