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Show Local governments government officials complained at a conference Tuesday that they do not have Local enough control over raising needed revenue. More than 30 officials throughout the region attended the meeting and dinner at the Elks Home, sponsored by the Southeastern of Local Utah Association Governments. County and city leaders from Carbon, Emery, San Juan and Grand counties aired their concerns with legislative leaders from the area at the Price Elks Club. 'Santa ' We have to shift, reverse the tax theres been a massive in- crease in taxes on homes and a decrease on state assessed said San Juan comproperty, missioner Cal Black. In lists of legislative items, the local governments placed a priority on viewing property taxes as a source of funding for local government rather than state needs. They also want to lift the six percent limitation on revenue received by a county in a reassessment year and eliminate the want more tax controls constitutional limit to the states participation in funding school costs. Rp. Mike Dimitrich said in the last year a million dollar tax burden was shifted to the individual homeowner in Carbon County from state assessed property taxes. State assessed properties includes railroads, utilities, coal mines and corporate developments. The tax shift has happened and its something we as legislators have to correct, he said. (D-Pric- e) Sen. Omai Bunnell bill which would be disastrous to local governments ability to raise funds. House Bill 41 would place a limit on all kinds of taxes local governments can levy. In a developing area, it almost on the puts a straight-jackits ruining bonding community, capacity and raising interest rates, Bunnell said. The equalization of property tax assessment levels at 20 percent of 1978 market value, ordered last et program doubles at the spent three eight-hou- new animal control ordinance, designed to crack down on repeat A offenders a v- r days wrapping gifts. Another woman who came in to help said she had no family of her own and felt a need to be of service. Scott said the staff would like to see the program become almost totally voluntary. We would like to see ourselves as being an application clearing house and having a role, he said. When we make the deliveries, the donors dont get the Christmas feeling they could get if they did it themselves, he added. Mattress fire kills sleeper A man died during a HELPER mattress fire in the basement of a Main Street house here early Wednesday. Thomas Richard Hart, 42, Sioux City, Iowa, probably died of smoke inhalation, said Chief Deputy Jim Robertson, Carbon Sheriffs Department. County The fire broke out about 5:40 a.m. at the home of Woodrow Clark, 278 South Main. It was probably started from a cigarette the victim was smoking while in bed, Robertson said. The victim was a transient who had no known Robertson said. Damage to the home was limited to the basement, he said. The home has long been known as a gathering place for transients, Robertson said. next-of-ki- n, tk- - Coal spill community Christmas tree next to the courthouse during a radiothon she said. Donations continued to pour in until Christmas Day. Some 60 pounds of gumdrops were received on Christmas Eve as well as bread, com chips and cake. Before the SEUCAP staff had the opportunity to go shopping, 125 turkeys as well as numerous hams and roasts had been donated. We did have more volunteerism this year than last year, director John Scott said. Of the 221 households receiving help, 40 were assisted by organizations independent of the SEUCAP staff, Scott said. The project was replete with small dramas. Another family came to the SEUCAP office to refer the staff to a family in the area, not realizing that they, themselves, were needy enough to apply for help. As Christmas neared one woman who had been helped by the program in the past came in and area in impaction planning for the IPP project in Millard County. Most of the coni for the project will come from the two counties. This is the area no one looks out for in statewide planning, growth is going to be here and I think the local taxes should be going for the local needs, Johansen said. East Rep. John Garr Carbon) said a proposed severance tax could be a problem imposing because of the poor state of the coal and uranium markets at this tune. I also think the industry would be more receptive to a severance tax if the money went back to the areas impacted from energy developments, Garr said. New animai law may be revised Claus Operation Santa provided Christmas for 221 needy families this season, almost double the number who were helped last year, sponsors said Tuesday. Cash donations amounted to $2,960 and at least twice that much was given in the form of food, toys, clothing, firewood, Christmas trees and volunteer help, said Vivian Fivecoat, community food and nutrition programer for the Southeastern Utah Community Action Program. There was a lot of community spirit this year, SEUCAP planner Fae Thomas added. Some $80 was donated by children week by the State Tax should have been implemented over a three to four year period, Bunnell said. The problem with is that homeowners are being taxed at an inequitable ratio compared to state assessed lands, he added. Keeping local taxes in the city and county coffers is another concern of local politicians. Emery County Attorney Scott Johansen said it appears any mineral severance tax revenue will go to state government, which will then dole money out to the counties. He said the state has already overlooked the Carbon and Emery Com-misssio- n, (D-Pric- e) said he was also concerned with a Savage Brotners coal transport lost 14 tons of Hiawatha coal as its trailer flipped on its side Tuesday afternoon. Driver Roger Jones, Orem, said he felt the trailer whipping The trailer flipped sideways down A before he ciuld regain control. Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Robert Mead said there was limited structural damage to the vehicle, estimated at $2,000. No speeding citation was issued. State grant system criticized A point system which provides grant funds for local projects was criticized Tuesday by a Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments official. Planner Jim Paraskeva said the state system favors highly populated areas and tends to penalize good management. He made the comments during a SEUALG executive board meeting involving city and county officials from Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan counties. Under the point system, several criteria are listed for determining the order in which government service projects may receive funds. One of the criteria is the bonded indebtedness incurred by the local government. The indebtedness is based on population. The larger the city, the larger the proportion of bonded indebtedness they can assume, Paraskeva said. As a result, larger cities would state-administer- ed have a better chance of obtaining state grants. Paraskeva said he was also concerned that the reason for the bonded indebtedness is not considered. An area such as Salt Lake City may be bonding for such things as a symphony hall, while were bonding for essential community services, Paraskeva said. A community may be left out of consideration because it has incurred no bonded indebtedness, he added. well-manag- ed However, government, in southeastern Utah would weigh favorably on some of the criteria, he said. For example, the point system takes into account whether the community is experiencing rapid growth. Board chairman Harold Jacobs of Moab suggested that the concerns be expressed at the next Governors Advisory Committee meeting. In another matter, SEUALG planner Gary Williams told the board that administration of the Alternative Support Program for senior citizens is being turned over to Southeastern the Utah Department of Social Services. Under the program, elderly persons receive residential medical care as an alternative to placing them in nursing homes or long-tercare facilities. By assuming administration of the program, Social Services will be able to eliminate duplication of services, said Director Maun Alston of the Southeastern Utah Department of Social Services. For example, assessment of the persons needs has previously required an evaluation by registered nurses from Four Comers Mental Health and the state Department of Public Health. Under the new system, a single registered nurse will evaluate the patient in order to save time and cut costs, she said. m City chimney fires discussed The rising rates of chimney fires and construction within Price City were discussed by the city building inspector Tuesday. During the last fiscal year, Inspector Frank Kelly said the Price Fire Department responded to four chimney fires. Since the beginning of this fiscal year, the city has had one chimney fire. This has come about because of the increased fireplaces and popularity of stoves as an alternative method of heating a room or home, Kelly said. pie idea of saving natural gas by using a wood burning stove is fine, Kelly said. The trouble comes when the resident atttempts to install it himself without seeing what standards should be abided by to make it a safe part of the house. Also it is possible for a contractor to occasionally make an error, he added. Most of the fires last year were caused by the chimney being to close to combustible material, he added. The increase in these fires have been noticed by insurance companies, he added. Just today a resident requested me to examine a chimmney so that they could get approval for insurance, he said. Also homeowners are required to obtain a building permit ($10 in most chimmeny projects) from Kelly. With this permit Kelly will go out to the construction site to insure that the chimney is built safe. By obtaining a permit Kelly can provide chimney builders with safety specifications that will minimize the chances of a fire mishap. Of course it is the law that they should obtain a permit. But also having the work inspected is for their own safety. We dont want to have any fires, Kelly said. Getting permits for other work is and encourage population control was passed Tuesday by the Carbon County Commission. But County Clerk Norman Prichard said Wednesday it will probably be rescinded at the next commission meeting and repassed in a shorter form in order to cut the expense of newspaper publication. The present ordinance is very general regarding restitution for property damage from animals and enforcement by officers, Commissioner Lee Semken said in describing the differences. The document, patterned after Salt Lake Countys ordinance, was formulated by Deputy County Attorney Fred Howard and animal control officer Bill Barnes. The ordinance provides that persons adopting a pet from the County Animal Shelter would receive an 80 percent rebate on fees if the animal were spayed or neutered and received a rabies shot and license. The adoption fee in the ordinance is set at about $35. Presently it is $5 for a puppy and $10 for an adult 42-pa- dog. Higher penalties would be assessed dog owners whose pets are picked up repeatedly. Fines of $15 for the first offense, $25 for the second offense and $40 for the third offense within a period would be charged. Under the old ordinance, only $10 is charged for each offense. Provisions on restitution by owners whose animals cause property damage would apply largely to livestock owners, County Attorney Keith Chiara noted. Animal control officers could take a pet away from an owner after three violations within a year, although the officers may exercise discretion. Chiara said municipalities in the county would not be left without an ordinance since they are still subject to the old one. County animal control officers would be bound by the old ordinance when working within city limits. The cities would have the option of reviewing and adopting the new ordinance. In other business: The commission approved a contract with Southeastern Utah Health District for a Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program. Federal funds amounting to $12,173 were earmarked for the program which covers Emery, Grand and San Juan as well as Carbon counties. The contract extends to June 30. Each county commission must approve a separate contract. The program will focus mainly on research and education. This district reportedly has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the state. (See Dec. 26 Sun Advocate story.) The resignation of County Assessor Ray Downard was accepted effective April 1. In a letter to the commission, Downard said he wanted to retire on that date. He praised the county personnel and his In accepting the resignation, all three commissioners indicated a reluctance to see him leave. The purchase of $3,209 worth of cable was approved for the upgrading of television reception in East Carbon. Prichard said he put the matter on the agenda for commission approval before issuing the purchase order because of recent controversy about TV reception in that area.. Commission Chairman Floyd Marx said Ed Burnham, county television transmission engineer, told him the equipment was necessary to replace worn cable. A wage increase for County Nursing Home employees was approved, amounting to an expenditure of $5,008. The wage increase is to get some of the employees up to the minimum pay scale which will be increased at the first of the year. also important since a poorly done plumbing or electrical job could be deadly, he added. The cost for the permits is not expensive. If the work is under $250, the permit and post- construction inspection is free. If the work is up to $1,000 it costs $10. If the work costs up to $5000 the permit is $25. Construction Is up While most of the state is suffering from a lack of construction, Price City building has grown during the last three years in October, November and December. Building Inspector Frank Kelly said, It has been the commerical construction which have kept us up with the last few years. In a recent Utah Economic and Business Review the state publication noted a decrease in authorized permit construction in every region of the state except for the Salt Lake City metropolitan ( Continued on Page 3 ) sa ''"V ?, ii Building Inspector Frank Kelly for Price City said that the increase construction activity here is bucking the state wide trend. ) mvH imi m Airtarti Aatfe- -- i - - -,, |