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Show SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH Count Com. Ralph McClure Sets Goal to Hold Line on Salaries Salt Lake County Commission- er Ralph McClure called for a lid on salaries for the three dozen political employees. There are no guidelines and no ceilings on pay for these exempt positions. Jobs in the areas of political positions include flood control, highway and finance department directors, administrative assistants and chief deputies and recreation supervisor. Commissioner McClure said he set the goal to put the lid on the salaries when he was asked to approve pay hikes of $34 to $70 a month for five political appointees. I cant sign them in the absence of these guidelines. The finance commissioner, Mr. McClure said he would talk with Commissioner William Dunn and Philip Blonquist about the guidelines and ceiling for the posts. Assistant Personnel Director Jack Tanner, says that the guide lines are difficult but not impossible. These people are exempt from personnel policies and procedures. Whatever they are paid is up to the county commission and politics would be added to the list of considerations used in setting pay scales. Commissioners Blomquist and William Dunn agreed there is an unwritten law that starts new political appointees at the low Com. Ralph McClure point in a pay range recommended by county personnel and allows five percent yearly raises. Only the top salaries specified. Commissioner Dunn was asked should specific salary grades and steps including ceilings be outlined for these posts. I dont think it would be a bad idea to have this in black and white. d The topic of the season is President Nixons freeze order. Every day we read about more government regulations coming out of the grist mill in Washington, of more commissions, and more red tape. All this with (he purpose of fighting inflation by freezing salaries and prices. Coupled with this is the bad news coming out of the City and County building regarding the countys record 1972 budget. Every department is asking for higher salaries and higher spending. County taxes next year are bound to go up if these requests are not trimmed to the bone. For example: New spending requests total $12 million, up 38 per cent from this year. (Every million dollars of new spending will jump property taxes one mill.) Capital improvements want $2.8, or 96 per cent increase. Flood control wants $1 million more to build a surplus. Alcoholic probation now wants $337,228 or 540 per cent more money. CenNorthwest Multi-purpoter wants $483,045, or 218 per cent more money. County salaries will go up $1 se Health Department Exception City-Count- y With one exception all levies fixed by the county commission must be included within the 16 and 18 mill limitations fixed by law. In an opinion expressed by Utahs Attorney General Vernon Romney to Paul Fordham, member of the State Tax Commission, it was inquired whether a county commission could levy a tax for the care of indigents, hospitals or similar purposes in addition to the overall limitation. Assistant Attorney General Homer Holmgren replied that the tax must be included within the limits. These limits are 16 mills or $16 per $1,000 tax valuation in all counties with a total assessed valuation of more than $20 million and 18 mills for all counties with a valuation of less than $20 million. The single exception is provided by a 1971 amendment to the state law for additional levies to fund or district-healt- h city-coun- ty departments. KCPX Selects arent Justin C. Stewart Freeze - Does it Apply To Employees and Government? One-Side- FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1971 million to $16,700,000. Five years ago they were but $8.2 million. This will implement the new salary program that went into effect prior to the freeze. Based on 1972 budget requests Salt Lake County spending in five years will have increased 136 percent. This increase comes to $26 million. Yet, in the same period, county population has gone up but 4 percent. Looks like we have a onesided freeze. A freeze that applies only to taxpayers and not to government who is responsible for inflation in the first place. Responsible because of its runaway spending, its unbalanced budgets, and its string of huge deficits. It is true that county employee salaries are frozen like everyone else. But why is there no freeze on the other 50 per cent of the budget? There is no freeze on hiring more employees, no freeze on expansion of existing programs, no freeze on setting up unnecessary slush funds, no freeze on creating new departments, no freeze on expanded capital improvement spending. (Continued cn page 5) County Budget for 1972 Set At Nearly $40 Million; Taxes Up S.L. In Salt Lake City, at the Salt Palace, which is generally known for its sports attractions, was turned into a solace meeting area for officials of Salt Lake County were they set the 1972 budget for county government at nearly $40 million. Budget officers considered large cuts in departmental requests which total $45.5 million. Officials appeared able to cut only about $6 to $7 million. Revenues total only about $37 million with another $1.7 million in surpluses carrying this years budget. Next years requests are $12.2 million higher than this years budget. Adding to fiscal problems will be a probable deficit in the general fund of about $1 million or more from borrowing out of this years. An analysis of this years fiscal indicators show that approximately $23 million is available to cover the general fund expense. The other revenues totaling about $9 million raise the total revenue expecetd from this years budget to $32.2 million short of the expected $33.3 million in expenses. Of the requested $33 million for the general fund, this figure includes $6.1 million for capital improvements, some of which will have to cut down, in order to meet revenues. General fund revenues are expected to produce around $27 to $28 million which is about $6 million short of covering the expenses. Another large cash account is the Flood Department, which has asked for $4.1 million. This figure, according to flood control officials, represents $2.1 million in storm sewer and canal projects. The flood control department, although is one of the few departments which will carry over a surplus in the budget. It will carry $1.2 million due only to the fact it raised flood control levy to 2.75 mills. All this leads us to believe but one thing. Where is the money to cover the deficit going to come from? Is the citizen again going to have to dig into his pockets for more money in the form of taxes to bring the budget into balance. Justin C. Stewart, a Salt Lake City Attorney, has been designated a new member of the KCPX news advisory board in the field of consumer affairs. Mr. Stewart, born in Provo, moved with his family to Salt Lake City where he spent the major portion of his school years and after graduating from West High School, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from the Uni- v versity of Utah, an MA degree in adult education from Columbia University in New York City, served as an officer with the U.S. Army Signal Corps in In a highly informative statement entitled Perspec-tic- e World War II and returned to the University of Utah to acon Power, D. Bruce Mansfield, President of Ohio quire his J.D. in law. Edison Co., and present chairman of the Edison Electric Stewart served on the board of directors of the Utah Credit Institute, presents a factual report based on the Institutes electric power survey. This survey confirms Union League for three years semi-annuand is presently chairman of the what industry authorities have said for sometime there consumer committee of that orIn addition, he is was no national power crisis last year. ganization. In Mr. Mansfields words, During 1970, there were legal council and consultant for it the Housing Corpora- some areas where margins of reserve were less than detion and president of the Co-o- p Service of the Federal Credit sirable, and there were some difficulties during periods TODAYS EDITORIAL No National Power Shortage al non-prof- Union. Insignificant Changes Seen in Unemployment The unemployment insurance claims and jobs made available through state employment security during the week ended Nov. 27 showed insignificant changes from the preceding week. Continuing claims for benefits totaled 9,386 for the week just ended, down 88 from the week before, while jobs available, due to the Thanksgiving holiday, declined by 126 from the week of Nov. 20, to 802 for the latest week. of extremely hot weather. But the local problems, upsetting and painful as they may have been in the specific areas involved, did not indicate a problem of national dimensions. Moreover, progress in the last five years in the ability of the electric industry to move bulk power between regions was ably demonstrated. The National Electric Reliability Council and nine regional councils proved capable, as Mr. Mansfield observed, of accomplishing their designed purpose, during the power-tigsituation on the East Coast on Sept. 22 and 23 of this ht past year. As far as the national power supply is concerned, past, present and future, the figures speak for themselves. (Continued on page four) |