House OKs final piece in aid for flood victims

The final piece in the state's attempt to help flood victims and governments harmed by flooding in St. George earlier this year passed the House on Tuesday.

Rep. Brad Last's HB324 would allow homeowners and business owners whose property was significantly damaged in the floods to petition county officials to reduce their property taxes this year.

The bill was amended by House members to say that if 40 percent of a person's assessed valuation were lost in a natural disaster, then a county Board of Equalization could reduce the assessments (upon which property taxes are levied) accordingly.

A real property's assessed valuation is set on Jan. 1, Last explained. And so homeowners who saw their houses fall into the flood-ravaged Santa Clara River would have had to pay property tax in November based on their whole house, even though most of it has been washed into Nevada.

A special fund raiser was scheduled in Salt Lake City's Salt Palace Tuesday night to help raise private funds for the flood victims.

Earlier this session, legislators set up a special $25 million fund to lend money to local Washington County cities to help pay for destroyed roads, bridges and sewer and water systems.