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Show "Misery Loves Company', But Taxes Still High With a "misery loves company" chuckle. Garfield County commissioner George Middleton said he felt the pressure was off local commissioners just a little as the Utah State Tax Commission announced its latest decision. State Tax Commissioners announced the day before Christmas that all counties, county boards of equalization, and county assessors throughout the state must adjust and equalize the assessment level of all locally owned property at 20 percent of its current reasonable fair cash value as rolled back to the January 1, 1978 level. It simply means that almost every ojher county in the state will next year lAperience the same" necessity of' dealing with higher taxes resulting from reappraisals and adjusting mill levies as Garfield County painfully went through this past year. The few counties in the state such as Garfield which were reappraised earlier in the year were faced with resulting higher property taxes to residents and a juggling of mill levies to meet the legislature's arbitrary limit of a 6 percent increase of revenue to the county in any tax year. While residents of other counties now face increases in taxes as high as 269 percent, Garfield, having already gone through the adjustment process came within less than one percent of meeting the state's new regulations. Commissioners, he said, had tried hard to keep costs down to property -WfleCS.Jn.Garffcld County, and had set their revenue goal for the county at exactly the same figure as for the (Continued on Page Two) Taxes . . . (Continued from Page One) previous year, cutting planned expenditures to the bone. Middleton foresees a general tax revolution statewide when the full impact of the state decision becomes clear. With state schools facing serious financial pressures from increasing inflation, pressure was on the State Tax Commission to do something now, rather than to wait for the full reappraisal cycle to take place statewide during the next few years. In a press release State Tax Commissioners stated that the impact of their decision was for equalization, not property tax increase. The State Tax Commission is responsible for property tax assessments. The mill levy and the subsequent tax revenues are the responsibility of the state legislature and each unit of government means counties authorized to establish a mill levy for tax purposes such as Garfield and the incorporated cities within its boundaries. State commissioners said that the decision had come as a result of months ' of discussion and study. Adding that they realized the impact of the action they were taking, they felt thatby doing so at this time county assessors would have adequate time to implement the program. It would also, indicated commissioners, give the legislature a chance to respond with any consideration to revenue limitation, adjusting the 24 mill uniform school levy or alternative revenue sources. Local units of government have until August to set their mill levy which will provide time to implement any legislative change and or restriction prior to establishing their mill levy. The impact on the assessed valuation in each county is varied. The percentages are based on their current assessed valuations reflecting the following range of impact. Six counties will not be involved in the decision as they are currently being reappraised and new values will be placed on the rolls in 1981 at 20 percent as as result of reappraisal and factoring will not be required (Daggett, Duchesne, Kane, Morgan, Rich, and Wasatch). Two counties will have a slight reduction (Sevier and Wayne). Two counties will have less than one percent (Garfield and Summit). Three counties will have between a one and 10 percent increase (Carbon, Salt Lake and Sanpete). Seven counties will have between 10 and 100 percent (Beaver, Davis, Iron, Juab, Tooele, Utah and Wayne). Eight counties will increase between 100 and 200 percent (Box Elder, Cache, Grand, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Uintah and Weber). One county (Emery) will have an assessed valuation increase of over 250 percent. |
