"They disenfranchised them" by denying the referendum, Gibson said. "Now (residents) want to vote for city council, and the council changed the rules. . . . It's just a power grab. They gerrymandered the districts so all five of the members live in (separate districts). They're kind of silly-looking."

But Councilman Roy Tingey, who voted for the change, said the council's vote was not meant to protect its own members. He said some council members don't even plan to run for re-election, so he doubts that was their concern.

He said he has not yet made an official decision on whether to run again. He is up for re-election in 2007.

"Primarily, I think the big issue in favor of it is making sure we have representation from all parts of the city," he said.

Rep. David Hogue, R-Riverton, said the districts don't make sense in Riverton because it is relatively small. He said in recent city elections, only about 2,000 votes have been cast, so he believes dividing those votes into five districts is not wise.

"I believe that they probably made a mistake," said the lawmaker, who has often taken the side of residents who oppose city decisions. "I think it will be a detriment to the city."

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E-mail: dsmeath@desnews.com