Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
During times of economic recession, it can be challenging not only to predict where the economy is heading, but even to understand the current state of the economy. It is difficult for citizens, business leaders, government managers, and policymakers to know how to respond when they aren’t even certain how significant the problem is. This is currently the situation in America and in Utah.
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
Recently, the Minnesota Taxpayers Association released an update to an extensive 50-state study comparing property taxes across the nation. The results of the study provide insights into Utah’s property tax burden relative to other states. Before focusing on the Utah-specific findings from the Minnesota Taxpayers Association report, a look at the changing nature of property tax collections in the recent past will provide a context for Utah’s property tax burden.
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
Utah’s overall state and local tax and fee burden is lower than average when measured per capita or per adult, but is higher than most states when measured in proportion to personal income. Property taxes are comparatively low, while sales and income taxes are high compared to other states. Utah governments generate 90% of their revenue from taxes on property, sales, and income, and from user fees. Very little revenue (compared to other states) is … Continued
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
A strong economy, fueled by I-15 reconstruction work, preparations for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and large capital gains tax receipts from the stock market provided the backdrop for budget decisions and legislation during the 2001 legislative session. State revenues were so strong that supplemental appropriations to the current fiscal year (FY 2001, ending June 30) received almost as much attention by legislators as did budget deliberations for the coming FY 2002 budget.
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
During the decade of the 1990s, federal expenditures as a percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) have been steadily declining from 22.3 percent in fiscal year 1991 to 18.2 percent in fiscal year 2000.
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
The single biggest expenditure of state and local tax revenue in Utah and the nation is for education (public and higher). Today about 42 percent of total direct state and local expenditures in Utah pay for education while the national average for the 50 states and the District of Columbia is 34 percent. About $92 out of every $1,000 of Utah total personal income are spent on education. This is about one-third higher than the … Continued
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
The 2000 legislative session, though dominated by the education funding issue, still found time to allocate the tobacco settlement funds, appropriate $694 million for capital projects (mostly highways), change Human Right’s Day to the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, pass mental health insurance reform, delay payments due to the state from the Salt Lake Olympic Committee until after the Olympics in 2002, and pass a $6.7 billion budget.
Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes
Because of Utah’s high birthrate, the state has, in percentage terms, the largest school-age population (ages 5-17) of any state in the nation. The flip-side of the coin is also true, Utah has the smallest percent of adults of working age (ages 18-64) of any state in the nation. These demographic facts make it very difficult to fund education at levels typical in other states. As a result, Utah has the largest class sizes and … Continued