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Show PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NUMBER EIGHT Proposing an amendment to Artlclo 13 of tho Constitution of tho State of Utah, relating to revenue and tax at Ion, Bo it resolved by tho Legislature of tho Stato ot Utnh, two-thirds of all mombors elected to each of tho two hniibes concurring therein: Section 1. It Is proposed to amend Artlclo 13 of tho Constitution of tho Stato of Utah, so that tho samo lll road as follows: 1 , Tho powor of taxation shall nov. or V surrendered, suspended, or contracted con-tracted away. All taxes shall bo unl- form upon the same class of property proper-ty within tho territorial limits of tho authority levying tho tax, nnd shall bo levied and collected for public pur poses only 2. Tho Lcghlaturo shall provide by law for nn annual tax sutnclont, with other souices of revenue, to defray the estimated ordinary expenses of tho Stato for each fiscal eat. For the purpose of paying tho Stato debt If any there be, tho Legislature shall provide for levying a tax annually, sufficient to pay the annual Interest and principal of such debt, within twenty years from the final lmssngo of tho law creating tho debt. 3. Thero shall bo exempt from taxation tax-ation property of tho United States, of tho State, counties, cities, towns, school districts, municipal corporations corpora-tions and public libraries lots with the buildings thereon used exclusively exclusive-ly for cither religious worship or charltablo purposes, and places ot burial not held or used for prlvato or corporate benefit. Ditches, canals, reservoirs, pipes and Humus owned and used by Individuals Indi-viduals or corporations for Irrigating Irrigat-ing lands owned by such Individuals or corporations, or tho Individual members thereof, shall not bo separately separ-ately taxed so long as they shall bo 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 tho Indigent poor may bo remitted or abated at such time and In such manner as may bo provided pro-vided by law. 4. Tho 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, vost In tho corporato authorities thereof, respectively, tho power to assess nnd collect taxes tor all purposes of such corporation. 5. Tho surfaco ground of all mines and mining claims, both placer nnd rock In placo, containing or bearing gold, silver, copper, lead, Iron or other oth-er valuable metals atter purchase thereof from the United States, shall bo taxed at a valuo not gTeater than tho prlco paid tho United States therefor, unless tho surfaco ground or some part thereof, of such mlno or claim, Is used for other thun mlu Ing purposes, and has a separate and Independent value for such otVer purposes; In which case said surfneo ground, or nny part thereof, ho 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 and all property and surface Improvements upon or appurtenant to mines and mining claims, which havo & valuo ceparate and Independent of such mines or mining claims, shall bo tuxed- as provided by law. All lands containing coal, grnnlto, stone, marble, mar-ble, onyx, gas oil hydro carbons, gypsum gyp-sum or other valuable mlnoral deposits de-posits other than those enumerated above In this section, after purchase thereof frcm the United States and ' nil property nnd sur'aco improvements improve-ments upon or appurtenant to such lands which havo a value separate nnd Independent of all such lands Bhall bo taxed as provided by law. In addition to tho assessment of the purfaco grounds, Improvements and machinery of mines and mining claims, all mines and mining clnlms producing net proceeds shall bo taxed at a value not to exceed three tlmrs such net proceeds. 6. An accurato statement of the receipts re-ceipts und expenditures of tho public moneys shall bo published nnnuaWy In such manner as tho Legislature' may provide. 7. Tho rato of taxation on property f jr Stato purposes shall never exceed eight mills on each dollar of valuation valua-tion to bo apportioned as follows: Not to oxceod four and one half mills on each dollar of valuation for general gen-eral State purposes; not to exceed three mills on each dollar of valuation valua-tion for district school purposes; not to exceed cno half mill on each dollar dol-lar of valuation for high school purposes; pur-poses; tint part of tho Stato tax apportioned ap-portioned to high school purposes shall constitute a fund to bo railed tho "high school tund" and shall bo apportioned to tho cities and pchool district maintaining high schools In tho manner tho Legislature may provide pro-vide And whenovor tho taxablo property within tho Stato shall amount to Four Hundred Million Dollars, Dol-lars, tho rato shall not exceed flvo mills on each dollar of valuation; unless un-less a proposition to lncreaso such rato, specifying thd rato proposed and tho tlmo during which tho samo shall be levied, bo first submitted to n voto &f such of the qualified olectors ot the Stato as, In tho year next proceeding pro-ceeding such election, shall havo paid a property tax assessed to them within with-in tho Stato, and tho majority of thoso voting thereon shall voto In favor fa-vor thereof, In such manndr ns may bo provided by law. 8. Tho linking of profit out of publlo moneys, using tho samo for any purposo not authorized by law, by any public offlcer, shall ho doom cd a felony, and shall bo punished as provided by law, but part of such punishment shall bo disqualification to hold public offlco. 9. No appropriation shall bo made or any oxpendlturo authorized by tho Legislature, whereby tho expenditures expendi-tures of tho Stato, during any fiscal year, shall exceed tho total tax then provided for by law, and applicable for such appropriation or expenditure, expendi-ture, uuless tho Legislature malting such appropriation, shall provldo for iQvylng a sufficient tax, not exceeding tho rates allowed In ScctlcM 6 of this artlclo. to pay such appropriation or expenditure within such fiscal year. This provision shall not apply to appropriations ap-propriations or expenditure!! to suppress sup-press Insurrections, defend tho State, or assist in defending tho United States In tlmo of war. 10. Nothing In this constitution shall bo construed to prevent tho Legislature Leg-islature from providing n stamp tax, or a tax based on Incomo, occupation licenses or franchises. Section 2. Tho Secretary of State Is hereby ordered to glvo this propo sltlon to be published In ot least ono newspaper In ovory county in the State whero a newspaper is printed and published for two months pre ceding the next general election. Section 3. This proposition shall bo submitted to tho electors of this Stnto nt the next general election for their approval or disapproval. All official ballots used at such election shall have printed or written thereon tho words, "For tho amondmont of Artlclo 13 of tho Constitution, relating relat-ing to taxation," "Yes," "No," nnd shall otherwise bo prepared, and sub mlttcd to tho electors as may bo otherwise oth-erwise provided by law, and said bal lot shall bo received, counted, and canvassed, and returns thurcon be made In the same manner nnd In at respects as In or may be provided by law In the caso of election of Stato officers. Section 4. if adopted by tho electors elec-tors of tho State, this amendmeut shall take effect January 1, 19 17. Approved, March 20, 1915. |
