At the time of HB338's passage in 2000, former Utah Public Service Commission Chairman Steve Mecham said the bill in effect gave a monopoly company "the ability to earn outrageous profits at the expense of their captive ratepayers."

Geddes called HB338 one of the most anti-consumer bills in the history of the state.

"That is the last thing we want in there is a political appointee," Geddes said. "Who is she going to be beholden to?"

Stan Harbuck, a Salt Lake resident, questioned whether the governor had the authority to terminate Ball.

In 1993, Harbuck challenged the removal of Joe Ingles, executive director of the committee, by then-Gov. Mike Leavitt.

"I don't think the governor was elected only by people who hold public utility stock," Harbuck said. "While I have not known a politician with enough humility to back down from a poorly conceived recommendation of his staff, I could only encourage the executive branch to do so."

No action was taken on Monday by the committee, but it will hold a special public hearing on the issue from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Monday at the Heber M. Wells building, 160 E. 300 South in Salt Lake City.

Russell Skousen, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce, met in a closed meeting with committee members to explain the reasons for the firing.

While Skousen would not divulge any specific reasons for the firing, he did say that Ball was not a "tenured professor who could say and do whatever he wanted."

Skousen added that Ball did not positively interact with other departments or the Legislature, and that there was a lack of coordination under his leadership.

But for consumers like Bonnie Fernandez of West Jordan, Ball's expertise will not be easily replaced.

"My concern as an individual is this committee is my sole line of defense," Fernandez said. "Any attempt to weaken that voice weakens my voice as an individual."

---

E-mail: danderton@desnews.com