Another Davis tax boost?

FARMINGTON — Lt. Gov. Olene Walker gave the Davis County commissioners what she thought was some good news Tuesday — the state will pay for most of the cost of buying new electronic voting machines — but county commissioners said they'll have to raise taxes to pay for them anyway.

Walker, the state's chief elections officer, has been visiting county commissions to discuss the state plan on election reform, including the replacement of punch card voting machines with electronic ones, polling place accessibility for the handicapped, voter education and the allocation of up to $28 million in federal funds.

The federal Help America Vote Act, signed by President Bush last October, mandates the replacement of punch card machines with electronic machines, which currently cost about $2,500 each. The law requires them to be in operation by 2006, although some punch card machines will have to be kept to count absentee ballots.

Commission Chairman Dan McConkie said he could see where a tax increase will be needed to buy machines for the county and added he didn't like the mandate being pushed onto the county. "You can now pass mandates onto the counties for elections, and you know how we feel about mandates."

Walked said the law is flexible enough to allow the state to move money from different categories to buy machines for the counties. She added the counties don't have to provide matching funds for the first $5 million and after that, they have to provide 5 percent. "This is probably the lowest match requirement I've ever seen."

Commissioner Carol Page said, "The problem is the taxpayers pay the federal, state and local taxes. The taxpayers are paying 100 percent."

Walker said if the state didn't change its voting machines, it would cost even more because the federal law requires electronic machines for handicapped voters in every precinct regardless of whether federal funds are used to buy the machines.

"The state has a variety of places to raise taxes," McConkie said. "We can only target homeowners."

Walker replied Utah ranks 37th in property tax rates.

"Because of our heavy load in educating our youth, Utah has always had budget problems and so will you," Walker said. "I know Davis County has budget problems."

Commissioner Michael Cragun said the state is asking counties for far more than it should.

County commissioners have raised taxes 24 percent this year and are expected to ask the taxpayers to approve bonding for a $25 million jail expansion later this summer.

McConkie said he had no idea by how much or when the county will have to raise taxes for the voting machines, because the county doesn't know what the hidden costs are.

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