| OCR Text |
Show PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NUMBER EIGHT Proposing an amendment to Artlclo 13 of tho qonstltutlon of tho Stnto of Utah, relating to rovenuo nnd tax atlon. Bo It resolved by tho Legislature of tho Stato of Utah, two-thirds of nil mombors elected to each of the two houses concurring therein: Section 1. It Is proposed to amend Artlclo 13 of tho Constitution of tho Stato of Utah, so that tho samo will rend ns follows: 1. Tho powor of taxation shall nov-cir nov-cir bo surrendered, suspended, or contracted con-tracted away. All taxes shall be unl- form upon the same class of property proper-ty within tho territorial limits ot tho authority levying tho tnx, and shall bo levied and collected for public pur poses only 2 Tho Legislature shall provldo by law for nn annual tax sumclent, .with other souices of revenue, to defray the estimated ordinary expenses of tho Stato for each fiscal yeat . For the purpose of paying the State debt if any there be, tho Legislature shall provide for levying a tax annually, sufficient to pay tho 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 ot the United States, of tho Stale, counties, cities, towns, school districts, municipal corporations corpora-tions and public libraries lots with tho buildings thereon used exclusively exclusive-ly for either religious worship, or charltablo' purposes, and places of burial not held or used for private or corporate benefit. Ditches, canals, reservoirs, pipes and tlumes owned and usod by Individuals Indi-viduals or corporations for Irrigating Irrigat-ing lands owned by such individuals or corporations, or the Individual members thereof, shall not bo separately separ-ately taxed so long as they shall be owned and used exclusively for such purpose; provided, that mortgages upon real and personal property shall bo oxempt from taxation; and that tho taxes of the Indigent poor may be remitted or abated at such time and In such manner as may bo provided pro-vided by law. 4. The Legislature shall not impose im-pose taxes for tho purposo of any county, city, town or other municipal municip-al corporation, but may, by law, vest In tho corporate authorities thereof, respectively, 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 oth-er valuable metals utter purchase thereof from the United States, shall be taxed at a value not greater than tho prlco paid the United States therefor, unless tho surface ground or some part thereof, of such mtno or claim, is used for other Hum mln ing purposes, and has a separate and independent value for such otVer nurnoses: In which case said surface ground, or any part thereof, so used for other than mining purposes, shall be taxed at Its valuo for such other purposes as provided by law; and all machinery used In mining nnd all property and surface Improvements upon or appurtenant to mines and mining claims, which have & valuo separate and independent of such mines or mining claims, shall bo taxed 03 provided by law. All lands containing coal, granite, stone, mnr-ble, mnr-ble, onyx, gas oil hydro carbons, gypsum gyp-sum or other valuablo mineral deposits de-posits other than those enumerated above In this section, after purchase thereof from the United States and all property and surface Improvements Improve-ments upon or appurtenant to such lands which havo a valuo soparato and Independent ot all such lands shall bo taxed as provided by law. In addition to the assessment of the surface grounds, Improvcmento and machinery ot mines and mining claims, all mines and mining claims producing net proceeds shall be taxed at a value not to exceed three times such net proceeds. 6. An accurate statement of the receipts re-ceipts and expenditures of the public moneys shall bo published annuaVj-In annuaVj-In such manner as the Legislature may provldo. 7. Tho rate of taxation on property f jr State purposes shall never excoed eight mills on each dollar of valuation valua-tion to be apportioned as follows: Not to exceed four and ono hsflf mills on each dollar of valuation for general gen-eral Stato purposes; not to exceed three mills on each dollar of valuation valua-tion for district school purposes; not to exceed cno halt mill on each dollar dol-lar of valuation for high school purposes; pur-poses; tint part of the Stato tax apportioned ap-portioned to high school purposes shall constitute a fund to bo railed tho "high school fund" and shall be apportioned to tho cities and scbool district.! maintaining high schools in tho manner the Legislature may provldo. pro-vldo. And whenever the taxable property within tho Stato shall amount to Four Hundred Million Dollars, Dol-lars, the rate shall not exceed five mills on each dollar of valuation; un less a proposition io iiiuiuuau "unl rate, specifying tho rnto proposed and tho tlmo during which tho samo shall bo lovled, bo first submitted to a vote of such of the qualified electors ot tho Stnto as, In tho year noxt proceeding pro-ceeding suoh election, shall havo paid a proporty tax assessed to them within with-in tho State, and tho mnjorlty of thoso voting thereon shall vote In favor fa-vor thereof, la such manner as may bo provided by law. 8. Tho making of profit out of public moneys, using tho same for ony purposo not authorized by law, by any public officer, shall bo deemed deem-ed a felony, nnd shall bo punished as provided by law, but part of such punishment shall ho disqualification to hold publlo offico, 9. No appropriation shall bo mado or any expenditure authorized by tho Legislature, whoreby tho oxpondl-tures oxpondl-tures of tho Stnto, during nny fiscal year, shall exceed tho total lax then provided for by law, and 'applicable for such appropriation or expenditure, expendi-ture, unless tho Leglsluturo making such appropriation, shall provldo fori levjlng a sufficient tnx, not exceeding the rates allowed iu Sectlc)i 0 ot this nrticlo. to pay such appropriation or expenditure within such fiscal year This provision shall not apply to np proprlatious or expenditures to suppress sup-press Insurrections, defend tho Stnto, or assist In defending tho United States In time of war. 10. Nothing iu this constitution shall be construed to prevent tho Legislature Leg-islature from providing a stamp tax, or a tax based on Income, occupation licenses or franchises. Section 2. The Secretary of State Is hereby ordered to give this proposition propo-sition to bo published In at least one newspaper In ovory county In the Stato where a newspaper is printed and published for two months preceding pre-ceding the next genoral election. Section 3. This proposition shall be submitted to .the electors ot this Stato at tho next general election for their approval or disapproval. All official ballots used at such election shall have printed or written thereon the words, "For tho amendment of Article 13 of tho Constitution, relating relat-ing to taxation," "Yes," "No," and shall otherwise bo prepared and sub mltted to the electors as may be oth crwlse provided by law, and said bal lot shall be received, counted, and canvassed, and returns thureon be made In the samo manner and In al respects as In or may be provided by law In the case ot election of Stato officers. Section 4. It adopted by the electors elec-tors of the State, this amendment shall take effect January 1, 1917. Approved, March 20, 1913. |
