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SIX THE NEVADA TAX REVIEW C O U N T Y C O M M I S S I O N E R S F O R M S T A T E - W I D E A S S O C I A T I O N In order to consider the advisability o f fo rm in g a state association o f county commissioners fo r discussion o f p ro b ­lems o f m utual interest fo r better county governm ent, G o v ern o r Pittm an called together the boards o f county commissioners on February 25th in R eno. G o v ern o r Pitt­m an presided and E. H . W a lk e r acted as secretary. T h e T axpayers Association has felt fo r some time that one o f the w eak links in local governm ent has been the procedure o f certain offices in some o f the counties, and that there should be increased efficiency in administration. It has been contended that m uch could be accomplished by greater uniform ity in the matter o f records an d reports, and that closer cooperation betw een the officials o f the different counties w o u ld g o fa r to w ard accom plishing this. A s a result o f the February m eeting o f the county boards o f commissioners, a state-wide organization w as form ed, to be k n o w n as the N e v a d a Association o f County C o m ­missioners, the objects o f w h ich are as fo llo w s : ( a ) T o m aintain a perm anent organization to secure cooperation am on g the several counties o f the State o f N e v a d a in a comprehensive study o f local problem s an d in the applica­tion o f efficient methods o f local governm ent; ( b ) T o p ro ­vide means w h ereby the officials o f the several counties o f this state m ay interchange ideas and experiences and obtain expert advice, ( c ) T o collect, com pile and distribute to county officials in form ation about governm ent an d the adm inistration o f county affairs, and to engage in the study o f standardization o f administrative practices in order to increase efficiency and reduce cost o f operation; ( d ) T o cooperate w ith the m em bers o f the N e v a d a Congressional delegation in the protection o f the interests o f N e v a d a C o u n ­ties in matters o f national legislation an d in the adm inis­tration o f national legislative acts; ( e ) T o form ulate and prom ote such state legislation as w ill be beneficial to the counties o f this state and the citizens thereof and to oppose legislation detrim ental thereto; ( f j T o secure harm ony o f action am ong counties o f this state in matters that affect the rights and liabilities o f counties; ( g ) T o institute liti­gation in the name o f a m em ber County fo r the purpose o f securing a determ ination relative to the rights and lia ­bilities o f the counties o f this state under any constitutional provision o r statute; to appear as a frien d o f the C ourt in any court proceedings w herein the rights and liabilities o f counties are affected, and to appoint or em ploy counsel fo r the purposes herein m entioned; ( h ) T o , in their dis­cretion, annually include in their respective county budgets items to cover the expense o f exploiting, prom otin g and pu blish in g to homeseekers and the pu blic at large, by any m eans in their judgm en t calculated to accomplish this pu r­pose, the agricultural, m in in g and other resources, progress, and advantages o f their respective counties; ( i ) T o do any an d a ll other things necessary an d proper fo r the benefit o f the counties o f this state; ( j ) T o appoint and em ploy counsel fo r the purpose o f effecting any o f the objects o f this association herein mentioned. T h e expenses o f the association w ill, under the p ro ­posed plan, be met by a flat fee o f $50 fo r each county, plu s a pro-rated am ount to make u p the total b u dget based pn the assessed valuation o f each county. F o r practical pufposes, the state is divided into three districts as fo llo w s : D istrict 1— Esm eralda, N y e , Clark, Lincoln, W h it e Pin e and Eureka; D istrict 2— Churchill, Pershing, H u m b o ld t, Lan der an d E lk o ; D istrict 3— -M in ­eral, Lyon, D o u g la s, Storey, O rm sby and W a sh o e . R epre­sentatives fro m these counties shall, fo rm an Executive Com m ittee o f seven, including the president o f the associa­tion. U n d e r the constitution an executive secretary shall be appointed by the Executive Committee, w h o shall be a competent, qualified, in dividu al an d a resident o f the State o f N e v a d a . In addition to annual conventions there shall be district meetings and the Executive Committee, w hich shall have general supervision o f the affairs o f the organization, w ill meet u p o n the call o f the president or u p o n that o f any tw o members. A t the February m eeting eleven o f N e v a d a ’s seventeen counties w ere represented an d it is expected that the re­m ain in g six counties, although unable to be present at the conference, w ill be favorable to jo in in g the association. T h e p ro v id in g o f fu n d s fo r the Association, in accord­ance w ith the above form u la, w ill o f necessity have to be officially p rovided fo r b y inclusion in the budgets o f the different counties, but a tentative bu dget o f $2000 fo r 1946 w as approved. P recedin g the organization o f the association, G o v ern o r Pittm an introduced Judge L. F. P h ipps an d Forrest C ooper, both o f O rego n , w h o have been active throughout the west in fo rm in g county commissioner associations in the differ­ent states. T h e y outlined the advisability o f such associa­tions and u rged that N e v a d a proceed to fo rm such an organization. F o llo w in g the report o f the organization committee, appointed d u rin g the m orn in g session by G o v ern o r Pitt­m an, the commissioners approved the constitution and tem porary officers w ere chosen to serve until the first annual m eeting in N o v em b e r. T h e y are as fo llo w s : H u g h Sham-b erger o f O rm sby County, President; C a rl C. Foremaster o f Lincoln, V ice-P residen t; B . H . D o n n e lly o f M in eral, Secretary-Treasurer. M em bers o f the Executive Committee are as fo llo w s : D istrict 1— H arvey W ile y o f Esm eralda and A lv in T am b ly n o f W h it e Pine (A lb e r t Kelly] o f N y e , alter­nate) ; D istrict 2— G e o rg e R a lp h o f E lk o and F. A . Preston o f P ersh in g (J. A . R ives o f H u m b o ld t, a lte rn a te ); District 3— Ernest J. K le p p e o f W a s h o e and Ernest Johnson o f L yon County (H a r o ld W r ig h t o f M in e ra l County as alternate). D I R E C T O R A T T E N D S C O N F E R E N C E A 3-day conference o f State T axpayers Associations w as h eld in W a sh in g to n , D . C ., starting last N o v em b e r 14th. T h e T a x Foundation and the Citizens N a tio n a l C om ­mittee participated, the latter be in g the host to the state associations. In addition to discussions o f state and local problem s, the agenda com prised talks fo llo w e d by question an d an­sw er periods on the fo llo w in g subjects: G overnm en t C o r­porations, O rgan ization o f Congress, Federal A id , F u ll Em ploym ent, D e b t Lim itation, Social Security, Federal H ou sin g, Federal G overnm ent D em obilization, P o s t-W a r T axation . These w ere deem ed am on g the m ore pressing problem s then facin g Congress. D irectors o f the different state associations w ere assigned to committees to study and coordinate activity throughout the N a tio n in regard to their particular subject. TThie N e v a d a Association’s D irector w as m ade a m em ber o f the F u ll Em ploym ent Committee. TIMS NEVADA TAX REVIEW SEVEN S T A T E S ’ P R O - R A T A S H A R E O F P R O P O S E D 1947 F E D E R A L D E F I C I T C O M P A R E D W I T H S T A T E G O V E R N M E N T C O S T S A N D D E B T Share of Current Net Fed. Deficit State Gov’t Long-Term on per capita Operating State Gov't basis - Expenditures Debt (1945) a ) (1944) (2) (3) (thousands) (thousands) (thousands) A la b a m a ...................... $ 76,973 $ 41,458 $ 54,728 A r iz o n a — ....................... 17,251 17,940 3,025 A rk a n s a s ................-..... 48,714 36,272 131,138 C a lifo r n ia ....... ..........— 241,477 146,517 103,207 C o l o r a d o ........................ 30,671 23,437 17,782- C on n ecticu t .............. - 48,891 54,230 10,400 D e la w a r e ...................... 7,851 11,118 4,427 F lo r id a .......... -...... - 65,303 48,887 985 G e o r g ia ......1................. 87,359 52,738 6,249 I d a h o ..... ...........-............ 13,688 17,153 409 Illin o is — ....... -.............. 211,326 185,538 112,902 In d ia n a ...............-......... 94,091 53,849 4,483 I o w a ....................— ...... 61,843 48,606 1,381 K a n sa s ............. -............. 47,634 28,932 9,631 K e n tu c k y ...... H ....... - 70,565 47,256 5,505 Louisiana ................... 67,222 73,910 154,642 M a in e .......................... 21,510 29,408 19,047 M a ry la n d .......-........... 58,173 36,914 34,020 Massachusetts ............. 114,494 69,248 57,265 M ic h ig a n .......—........... 149,762 133,441 15,318 M innesota ................... 68,356 54,404 55,147 M ississippi .............. — 56,940 49,436 50,011 M issou ri ........I............ 97,347 81,368 64,881 M on tan a ..........- ......... 12,525 17,276 9,049 N e b r a s k a ..................... 32,803 18,590 963 N e v a d a ........................ 4,374 6,300 N e w H a m p s h ir e ______ 12,376 15,380 10,879 N e w J e rs e y ................. 114,980 57,095 52,676 N e w M e x i c o ............... 14,649 17,953 22,452 N e w Y o r k .............' 344,449 224,501 421,955 N o r t h . C arolin a ......... 95,922 94,499 30,205 N o r t h D a k o ta ........... 14,258 16,490 1,429 O h io ............................ 188,126 129,312 9,878 O k lah om a ................... 55,683 76,036 2,641 O re g o n ........................ 33,017 40,685 4,860 P e n n sy lv a n ia ............... 1 251,639 205,808 95,476 R h ode Island ? ...... — 20,753 15,183 21,845 South C a r o lin a ........... 52,156 33,886 69,133 South D a k o t a ..........— 15,200 14,776 258 Tennessee ................... 78,792 46,465 70,500 T e x a s ......—-................. 185,753 129,902 10,751 U ta h ....*..........-........... 16,887 24,892 215 V erm on t ..................... 8,494 9,162 3,674 V i r g i n i a ...........1......—- 84,292 50,509 5,323 W a sh in g to n .............. 57,164 68,691 5,776 W e s t V irg in ia .......... 47,204 46,178 65,339 W isco n sin ................... 80,802 39,292 3,943 W y o m in g .................. 6,754 5,581 3,168 D istrict o f C olum bia 25,686 59,803 *4,37 6 T otals .................... ..$3,612,279 $2,806,305 $1,843,347 (Totals do not necessarily add because of rounding.) (1) State shares of deficit computed on basis of Bureau of the Census popu­lation estimates as of July 1, 1945. (2) Current state operating expenditures are total of data for state gov-emment “operation,” “capital outlay,” “interest,” and “provision for debt retirement,” as reported in Summary-of State Government Finances in 1944, Bureau of the Census. (3) Net long-term debt figures from State Debt in 1945 as reported by Bureau of the Census. *1944..-. . ? . _ . .. L O W B O N D I N T E R E S T R A T E F O R N E W R E N O S C H O O L IS S U E T h e voters o f R eno, at the recent school election, a p ­proved the proposed $1,500,000 b o n d issue by a vote o f three to one. T h e proceeds o f these bonds w ill be utilized fo r the construction o f a n ew h igh school, reconditioning o f the present h igh school b u ild in g to serve as the n ew ju n ior high, and fo r a n ew gram m ar school in the south­eastern section o f the city. It w ill leave the present N o r t h - side ju n ior h ig h school available fo r sale. Since the referendum , the school b o a rd has been active in arran gin g fo r the issuance o f the bonds, and an unprece­dentedly lo w interest rate o f approxim ately $1.25 has been secured. F o r this reason, the entire issue w ill be floated at this time. T h e bo ard felt that if they held back some o f the bonds until they w ere actually needed fo r construc­tion, m oney rates m ight m aterially advance, w ith a result­in g increased cost to the taxpayer. In the meantime, the proceeds o f the bonds, until they are needed, w ill be in­vested in short term governm ent securities at p ro b a b ly % yield, w hich w ill, o f course, be that much saving in interest. T h e fo u r weeks o f advertising o f the bonds, in accord­ance w ith the statutes, w ill be accomplished on M a y 2nd, and on M a y 3d the bids fo r the project w ill be opened. M O T O R V E H I C L E F U E L T A X E S I N C R E A S E 5 4 % O V E R 1945 Figures recently released fro m the N e v a d a T a x C om ­mission show total net m otor vehicle fu e l taxes o f $131,943 fo r January, and $140,763 fo r February. T h e total fo r these tw o m onths is an increase o f $96,501, or 5 4 % over the total fo r the same tw o months in 1945. T o ta l taxes from this source fo r the entire year 1945 am ounted to $1,612,233. T a k in g into consideration sea­sonal variations, it w o u ld appear that the state’s revenue fro m this tax d u rin g 1946 w o u ld be increased by at least $300,000. F E D E R A L P E R S O N N E L IN C R E A S E S Senator B y rd has cham pioned a reduction in the num ­ber o f federal personnel fo r a lo n g time. H e , as Chairm an o f the Joint Committee on Reduction o f N on -E ssen tial Federal Expenditures, is continuing an aggressive cam­paign. In his m onthly report fo r February, he show ed that notw ithstanding the termination o f w a r some eight months ago federal personnel, excluding W a r and N a v y D e p a rt­ments, increased by 28,823 du rin g February. W A G N E R - M U R R A Y B I L L E laboration o f Social Security coverage, including ad op ­tion o f the public health program , is again bein g strenu­ously pressed fo r action b y Congress. H earin gs on the W a g n e r-M u rra y B ill commenced on A p r il 2, 1946, before the Senate Education L a b o r Committee. F or the first time estimated costs o f com pulsory health insurance w ere re­vealed. T h e estimate is $3,000,000,000 annually, du rin g the early years o f the plan.