Show State Revenues Greater Than Expenditures For the third consecutive year state revenues were greater than state expenditures expenditures expenditures expendi expendi- tures in Utah Last year total revenue receipts In Utah amounted to million compared compared com corn pared with total state spending of million This was re reported reported reported re- re ported by Utah Foundation the private tax research organization tion In their analysis of state income and spending in Utah for the 1972 fiscal year The Foundation study points out that during the period 1961 through 1969 the reverse was true and state expenditures in Utah consistently exceeded revenue receipts Among the factors accounting for the excess ex excess excess ex- ex cess of expenditures over revenues during the were 1 the large amount of capital outlay financed from borrowed funds 2 the consolidation of accounting funds which made more moneys available for ex expenditure expenditure expenditure ex- ex and 3 the spending of balances and surpluses In Inthe inthe inthe the early which had been accumulated In earlier years State government revenue re receipts receipts receipts re- re which totaled in fiscal 1972 were million or greater than total revenue collections forthe forthe for forthe the preceding 1971 fiscal year Foundation analysts attribute this strong revenue gain mainly mainly mainly main main- ly to Increased Federal aid Inflation and economic growth within the state last year The study notes that the only change In state tax rates during the period was an Increase In Inthe inthe inthe the beer tax which accounted for or about 1 of the total rise In state revenues last year Revenue from Federal aid on the other hand rose by nearly 27 million in the 1972 fiscal period Increased re receipts receipts receipts re- re from the sales tax amounted to million and Indi individual vidual Income tax collections collections collections were up by million for the year The remaining million of the state revenue revenue revenue rev rev- Increase for fiscal 1972 resulted from higher receipts from other taxes fees and charges Tax collections accounted for million or of ot total state revenue receipts in inthe inthe inthe the 1972 fiscal year Federal aid was equal to 1846 million mil ml- lion or of the statewide total The remaining million million mil mU- lion Uon came from tuition fees tees charges for services Interest earnings and other miscellaneous sources The sales tax continues as the most productive state tax source in Utah Last year It contributed 1177 million to the state revenue total a sum equal to of ot the revenue received from all sources When both state and local revenues revenues revenues reven reven- ues are considered however the sales tax is exceeded by bythe bythe bythe the property tax Total property taxes charged by all units o 0 government In Utah last year amounted to 1679 million Total sales tax collections state and local were equal to 1324 million during the 1972 fiscal year State expenditures in Utah totaled for tor the ri fis fiscal cal year ended June 30 1972 According to the Foundation analysis this sum was million or greater than the amount expended In fiscal 1971 As may be noted the increase In state spending for 1972 roughly approximates the increase in revenue receipts for the year Education continues as the number one Item of expenditure expenditure expenditure expendi expendi- ture in Utah The Foundation analysis shows that state spending spending spending spend spend- ing for education In Utah amounted to 2578 million or 46 of the state expenditure total Included In this state education total was 94 million for higher education 1464 million for state aid to local school districts and million million mil mU- lion for other educational pur pur- poses In addition to these state expenditures for education substantial amounts are spent for education from revenues u raised locally ally When all funds are Included state and local expenditures for tor education ex exceeded exceeded exceeded ex- ex million last year Other major areas of state spending during the 1972 fiscal year Included 1224 highways million public welfare welfare- million employment employment employment employ employ- ment security and unemployment unemployment unemployment ment compensation benefits benefits- million 57 health and hospitals million 31 and natural resources million 25 |