Pubdate: Thu, 25 Jan 2001
Source: Salt Lake Tribune (UT)
Copyright: 2001 The Salt Lake Tribune
Contact:  143 S Main, Salt Lake City UT 84111
Fax: (801)257-8950
Website: http://www.sltrib.com/
Forum: http://www.sltrib.com/tribtalk/
Author: Robert Gehrke

SHURTLEFF ASKS FOR $1 MILLION TO COVER DEFICITS

Utah's new attorney general asked lawmakers Wednesday for more than $1 
million to cover a deficit and beef up drug enforcement efforts.

Attorney General Mark Shurtleff told a legislative budget committee that 
his office will run a $325,000 deficit for the six months remaining in this 
fiscal year because he hired his top deputies before he found out he could 
not fire top advisers to his predecessor because they were in merit positions.

Merit positions, as opposed to political appointments, remain in place from 
one administration to the next.

In the next fiscal year, that deficit will double to $650,000.

Shurtleff said there were three secretaries and six attorneys he now has to 
find room for in his office, but no money in his budget to pay them.

"I am putting my money where my mouth is and doing everything I can to live 
within my means," he said.

At the same time, Shurtleff asked lawmakers to expand those means by nearly 
$600,000, so his office could go after Internet pornography, Medicaid fraud 
and rampant methamphetamine use.

Committee co-chairman Rep. LaMont Tyler, R-Holladay, said he was concerned 
by the size of Shurtleff's budget requests.
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