Although Horiuchi has his qualms about Salt Lake's choice of government, he said Summit County does, at the least, need to expand its commission to keep up with planning and growth demands in the region.

"Summit County has grown to the point where if you continue to try to run it on the fly, then that's the kind of government you're going to get," Horiuchi said. "You have to have elected officials who put the time in, especially in a growing, vibrant community. To have anything less would shortchange the residents."

Horiuchi said he recommends Summit expand to a full-time five-member commission and create a township in Snyderville Basin that has its own planning and zoning authority.

But rural residents on Summit County's east side are concerned about growing bigger and more expensive government, Dougherty said. The initiative to form the study committee failed at the voting booths on the county's east side but passed overwhelmingly in Park City and other west-side towns.

With the current at-large system, however, Dougherty said east-siders could lose representation if all three commissioners are from the more populous west edge of the county. Having district representation may enhance the voice of rural east-siders.

"What if all we have is a bunch of suburban commuters that don't know anything about ditches and cows?" he said. "But a lot of the minority groups have faith that whoever gets elected is going to be able to service the full county. They'd almost prefer not to have the parochial fiefdoms."

The government study committee plans to make a recommendation to county officials this summer on which of four government options should be presented to voters: the existing three-member part-time commission, a five-member commission, a county council of three to nine members with a county manager or a county council with an elected county executive or mayor.

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E-mail: estewart@desnews.com