From Deseret News archives:
Taxing times here again
Truth-in-taxation hearings are called 'a sham' by Utah group
Boards typically sympathize and raise taxes anyway.
"These public hearings, for lack of a better term, they're really a sham," said Citizens for Tax Fairness spokesman Ronald Mortensen, who earlier this month addressed the Davis Board of Education on its $1.3 million tax hike for reading. "There's no give and take back and forth, there's no real response. They all listen and some of them squirm a bit, but when you are done, no matter what you say, they vote to approve it."
But officials indicate local boards are up against a wall. The law times truth-in-taxation hearings well after budgets are set, albeit tentatively. Inevitable system glitches bring further delays. And officials report little political desire to overhaul the complicated system.
Nevertheless, truth-in-taxation hearings hammer home government checks and balances. Boards can lay out spending and educate the public on their needs, school officials say. And the public can either empathize or sour boards' appetite for future increases, tax watchdog groups say.
Hearings this week
They are among 22 school districts and around 50 Utah entities proposing tax increases for the governor's reading program and other purposes, according to the association. Most already have held truth-in-taxation hearings.
The hearings are required under Utah's Property Tax Act. The act mandates how they're handled, right down to taking out ads in local newspapers, to ensure the public knows about and can give input on proposed tax increases.
"We tell people they need to show up because if they don't, then the district gets the message that taxpayers aren't concerned . . . (and) they can continue to raise taxes every year and no one will mind," Utah Taxpayers Association Vice President Mike Jerman said.
But the timing of the hearings seems odd, and deadlines leading up to them unreachable, some say. That frustrates local entities from school boards to city councils.
Central to the issue is determining certified tax rates.
Rates are based on values of three types of property: locally assessed homes and businesses; centrally assessed utilities and other property crossing county boundaries; and personal property, such as office or business equipment.
Comments
- Soccer MVPs know how to win 1:56 a.m.
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009 1:56 a.m.
- High school soccer: Past MVPs 1:37 a.m.
- Senators want food tax restored 1:27 a.m.
- Utah women lag in higher education 1:16 a.m.
- Hatch empathizes with Muslims 1:14 a.m.
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP 1:13 a.m.
- Mitchell seeks to block witnesses 1:12 a.m.
- Party insiders may take on Bennett 1:11 a.m.
- Input sought on nondiscrimination 1:11 a.m.
- TCU showdown has big implications
- Seniors helped BYU regroup
- Bystanders framed for child porn
- Lambert surprisingly tops news
- Soccer MVPs know how to win
- Hope for single moms
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP
- Utah Jazz Extra: Whose hot/not
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated
- Mitchell seeks to block witnesses
- House passes health care bill
228 - TCU showdown has big implications
183 - Lobo suspended
182 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
154 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
118 - Thousands protest health bill
115 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
97 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
Congrats. Let's hope the team is ready to play and not content to go through...
Riverton throwers keep win them every meet. They have the best throwing coach...
Thank you for the facts, Mr. Jarvis, and I agree with you about George Will.
It's typical. Here this wonderful thing happened and all you guys can talk...
So Senator McCoy wants Matheson's seat. That's understandable. It has to be...
Bennett's lips may draw near to the Constitution, but his heart is far from...
I think non-mormon is either Mr. Ash himself or a strong supporter just...
Reports are all out tonight about my good friend (not) "Nellie" Stephen...
I loved watching Ben at BYU. I remember yelling in the stands "It's 3rd & Ben...
It is sad that just because you can not see, feel or understand something...



You can be the first to comment on this story.