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Show Btfl. Budget Would Cut Property Tax5 increase Fees By GARY R. BLODGETT Clipper News Editor BOUNTIFUL - With a 16 percent increase in the proposed 1984-85 general fund and capital improvements budget. Bountiful residents will have a decrease in property taxes but an increase in some service fees. BOUNTIFUL CITY Council tentatively agreed last Wednesday Wednes-day night to eliminate the 2-mill emergency flood levy that was imposed on property taxes last year and to possibly reduce property prop-erty taxes even more, depending on the outcome of the county property evaluation. At the same time, the council agreed that there probably will be no increase in the city's power rate, sewer fees or building fees. HOWEVER, IT was proposed for an 1 1 percent increase --averaging --averaging 50 cents per month per household -- in the culinary water rate; and a 50 cents per month fee added to the sanitation collection fee. The increased water fee, it was explained, would enable the city to construct a water treatment plant on Mill Creek at the head of Mueller Park and to purchase additional culinary water. THE SANITATION collection fee will be imposed for the purchase pur-chase of a mechanized garbage truck if the new automated garbage system is approved or for at least one new garbage collection truck if the city stays with the current garbage collection collec-tion system. There was considerable opposition voiced against the proposed prop-osed automated system with trucks that would have mechanical arms to reach out and pick up the garbage containers. OPPOSITION AROSE over the need of residents to wheel large, 100-gallon containers on wheeled carts to the curb for pickup. "The system will work great for eight months of favorable weather, but it will be impossible for some residents to handle the carts during the winter," said one resident, and his feelings were expressed by several others. THEY NOTED that the elderly, widows and those not physically physical-ly strong could not possible manage the carts and loaded containers contain-ers in the snow and ice. "For many, especially those on the hillside, would find it very difficult even for the physically strong," they contended. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Btffl. Budget Would Cut jlPropeirty Tax5 Increase Fees Ai: J CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE Ll Some also expressed concern that they had no place to store In-, the larger containers and that the containers when placed along tai the curb during the winter might also cause traffic problems. irpir y' si l CITY MANAGER Tom Hardy said the automated system, i Wt: over the long run, would provide a substantial savings to the city because of the reduced number of trucks - cut from five to three .jjj" -and fewer personnel needed for pickups, i J.' Originally, however, it will cost the city more because of the it,Dr ' purchase of some 8,300 containers at a cost of $65 each. Cost of :n,-f the trucks is about the same, he noted, and all five city-owned (R I trucks now being used are ready for replacement. Miri hy.fc BOUNTIFUL HAS a proposed 1984-85 budget of $22,696,045, i Mi; compared to $19,023,170 for the current year. Final adoption of the budget is set for Wednesday, June 6. . N(il In other budget-related matters the council approved revenue info- Wng projects amounting to $317,245. Most of the projects Ne: include improvements at the city's two swimming pools and at jboj the city-owned golf course. "REVENUE Sharing money is used for one-time purchases or :k.f ; improvements and the funds are from a federal grant with no S ma,chin8 funds required," said Mayor Dean S. Stahle. "IfBoun-t "IfBoun-t pt doesn't use the appropriated money, it will go elsewhere." Pedis The city also approved the transfer of more than $ 1 million as a W contribution to the city from the Bountiful Power and Light en department. Of this amount, about $800,000 will go into the city's Si 8e"eral fund and $275,000 into capital improvements. ict L THE CONTRIBUTION to the city would be equivalent to the entire city mjn evy 0f about 10 mills," said Mayor Stahle. "This Mnsthat we would otherwise have to double the city property ,n, if ax l raise enough money to provide the same services that are lasn Wed now." ofh's' ' A1S' "l Was noted-tne current power rate in Bountiful is about f . Percent less than neighboring cities using Utah Power and Gar) I- Power. |