Anderson agrees and says that the only reason he singled out automobile commuters "from up north" in his State of the City speech was the larger context of the Legacy Parkway debate.

The mayor maintains Davis County's proposed 14-mile parkway, which is expected to cost state taxpayers some $750 million, will increase urban sprawl, traffic and pollution.

A few Davis County commuters who work for Salt Lake City contacted the Deseret Morning News last week indicating they were offended by Anderson's State of the City speech. Those employees said they didn't want to be identified.

In the speech Anderson said, "We want our friends from the north to come to Salt Lake City; we just don't want them to increase our city's traffic, further foul our air, undermine the quality of our lives, and make us sick simply because of the choices they make about where they live and how they get around."

The full text of the speech can be found at www.slcgov.com/mayor.

Some City Council members also said they had heard from upset employees. The council took special note to praise the city's commuter employees in its "Policy Statement on Constructive Relationships with Neighboring Communities," which was adopted in response to Anderson's speech.

"Salt Lake City and our residents also benefit from the contributions of many dedicated city employees who commute into the city to perform vital services," the statement read.

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com