OCR Text |
Show PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION'. SENATE JOINT RESOI.I TIOV NUMIIER EKillT. Proposing an amendment to Article IV. of the Constitution of the State of Utah, relating to revenue and taxa- He it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Utah, two-thirds of ail members elected to each of the two houses concurring therein: Section 1 It is proposed to amend ArtloV 13 of the ' 'oust i I o I Ion of the State of Utah, so that the same will read as follows: 1 The power of taxation shall never he 'stjrr"rdrred, suspended, or contract-, ed awav All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property within with-in the territorial "mi" of the authority authori-ty levying the tax. and shall be levied and collected for public purposes only. 2 Tha Legislature shall provide by law for an annual tax sufficient, with other sources of revenue, to defray the estimated ordinary expenses of the State fur earl) liscai year. For the purpose pur-pose of paying the Slate debt,' if any there be. the Legislature shall provide fur levying a tax annually, sufficient to pay the annual interest and principal of such debt, within twenty years from tile linal passage of the law creating the dei't. 3. There shall be exempt from taxation taxa-tion property of the United States, ol the State, counties, cities, towns, school districts, municipal corporations and public libraries, lots with tile buildings thereon used exclusively for either religious re-ligious worship or charitable purposes, and places of burial not held or used for private or corporate benefit. Ditches, canals,' reservoirs, pipes and Humes owned and used by individuals or corporations for irrigating lands owned by such individuals or corporations, corpora-tions, or the individual members thereof, there-of, shall not be separately taxed so long as they shall be owned and useu exclusively for such purpose: provided, that mortgages upon real and personal properly shall be exempt from taxation, and that the taxes of the indigent poor may be remitted or abated at such time and in such manner as may be provided by law. 4. The Legislature shall not impose taxes for the purpose of any county, city, town or other municipal corpora tion, but, may, by law, vest in the corporate cor-porate authorities and collect taxes foi all purposes of such corporation. 5. The surface ground of all urines and mining claims, both placer and rock in place, containing or bearing gold, silver, sil-ver, copper, lead, iron or other valu able metals. after purchase thereol from the United States, shall be taxed at a value not greater than the price paid the United States therefor, unless me surface ground, or some part thereof, there-of, of such mines or claim, is used foi other than mining purposes, and has u separate and independent value for such other purposes; in which case said surface sur-face ground, or any part thereof, so used tor other titan mining purposes, shall he taxed other than mining purposes pur-poses as provided by law: and all machinery ma-chinery used in mining, and all property prop-erty and surface improvements upon or appurtenant to mines and mining claims, which have a value separate and independent of such mines or mining min-ing claims, shall be taxed as provided by law. All lands containing coal, granite, stone, marble, onyx. gas. oil, hydro-carbons, gypsum, or other valuable valu-able mineral deposits, 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 aDDtirtenant to such lands which have a value separate and independent of all such lands shall be taxed as provided by law. Tn addition to the assessment of the surface grounds, improvements and machinery of mines and mining claims, all mines and mining claims producing net proceeds pro-ceeds shall be taxed at a value not to exceed three times such net proceeds. 6. An 'accurate statement of tne receipts re-ceipts and expenditures of the public moneys shall be published annually in such manner as the Legislature may provide. 7. The rate of taxation on property for State purposes shall never exceed eight mills on each dollar of valuation to be apportioned as follows. Not' to exceed four and one-half mills on each dollar of valuation for general State purposes: not to exceed three mills on each dollar, of valuation for district school purposes: not to exceed one-haii mill on each dollar of valuation for high school purposes: that part of the State tax appportioned to high school purposes shall constitute a fund to be called the "high school fund" and shall be apportioned to the cities and school districts maintaining high schools in the manner the Legislature may provide. pro-vide. And whenever the taxable prop-ertv prop-ertv within the State shall amount to Four Hundred Million Dollars, the rate-shall rate-shall not exceed five mills on each dollar dol-lar of valuation: unless a proposition to increase such rate, specifying the rate proposed and the time during -which the same shall be levied, be first submitted to a vote of such of the qualified electors of the State as. In tne year next preceding such election, shall have paid a property tax assessed to them within the State, and the majority majori-ty of those voting thereon shall vote in favor thereof, in such manner as may be provided by iaw. S. The making of profit out of public pub-lic moneys, using the same for any purpose not authorized by law, by any public officer, shall be deemed a felony, and shall be punished as provided by law, but part of such punishment shall be disqualification to hold public office. 9. Xo appropriation shall lie made, or any expenditure authorized by the Legislature, whereby the expenditures of "tiie State, during any fiscal year, shall exceed the total tax then provided for by law, and applicable for such appropriation ap-propriation or expendil lire, unless the Legislature making such appropriation, shall provide for levying a sufficient lax. not exceeding the rate allowed in Section 6 of this article, to- pay such appropriation or expenditure within such fiscal year. This provision shall not apply to appropriations or expenditures expendi-tures to suppress insurrections, defend the State, or assist in defending the United States in time of war. 10. Nothing in this constitution shall he construed to prevent the Legislature from providing a stamp tax. or a tax based on income, occupation, licenses or f ra nob ises. Sec. 2. The Secretary of State if hereby ordered to give this proposition proposi-tion to be published in at least one newspaper in every county in the State where a newspaper is printed and published for two months preceding the next general election. See. 2. Th Is proposition shall be submitted to the electors of this State at the next general election for their approval or disapproval. All official ballots used at such election shall have printed or written thereon the words, "p'or the amendment of Aritele 12 of the Constitution, relating to taxation," eyes," "No," and shall otherwise be prepared and submitted to the electors as may be otherwise provided by law. and said ballot shall be '"reoei ved. counted, count-ed, and canvassed, and returns thereon l e made In the same manner and in all respects as in or may be provided by law in the case of eloction of State officers. Sec. L Tf adopted by the electors of the State, this amendment shall take effect January 1, lS'.T. Approved March 20th. 1915. |