From Deseret News archives:
Caucuses spur cities to juggle meetings
City councils around Utah scrambled last week and as late as Monday to reschedule meetings planned for tonight because they forgot Republicans and Democrats are gathering at the same time in neighborhood party caucuses.
Decades-old tradition always reserved Monday nights for the meetings, where precincts gather in homes or schools to select delegates to county and state conventions.
That's what several cities were banking on again this year when they scheduled council meetings. But two years ago, after LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley urged school and community organizations not to schedule events on Monday nights, both parties moved their caucuses to Tuesday.
Provo's City Council decided late last week to accommodate council members and others who would have been torn between the meeting and their neighborhood caucuses. As a result, the council meeting won't start until 9 p.m.
Springville Mayor Fritz Boyer agreed Monday afternoon to make an arrangement similar to Provo's. He said all of Springville's City Council members felt strongly about attending the caucuses.
Spanish Fork and Lindon decided Monday to hold their meetings around the caucuses literally. Both will start at 6 p.m., adjourn before 7 and then reconvene after the caucuses.
"We'll conduct some other business, then adjourn so we can go to the caucuses and then come back unless we're really, really efficient and get everything done in 45 minutes," Spanish Fork Mayor Joe Thomas said. "In the future, we're going to make sure we don't schedule meetings that conflict with the caucuses."
In Davis County, Woods Cross and Fruit Heights planned ahead for the caucuses but kept the same date, moving their meetings to earlier in the day.
Other cities took different tacks. Eagle Mountain, Pleasant Grove and Saratoga Springs canceled their meetings. Cedar Hills moved its City Council meeting to Wednesday. Highland moved its to Thursday.
"Thursday was the open date the majority of the council could be in attendance," Highland City Councilwoman Kathryn Schramm said. "We changed our meeting because we want to support the patriotic-duty kinds of things and we'd like to go to those meetings as well. We'd like to be involved in our neighborhood party caucuses."
Davis County's Centerville, Kaysville and West Point also changed dates.
Council members throughout the state are among those who want to become delegates or who will be seeking precinct offices. Highland's Schramm is running for precinct chairman. Eagle Mountain Councilman Dave Lifferth said he will be running, too. Lifferth has served as a Utah County delegate and has been his Republican precinct's vice chairman and secretary.
E-mail: twalch@desnews.com
Comments
- Sports on the air 1:21 a.m.
- 2009 MLS Cup recap 12:45 a.m.
- MLS Cup winners, MVPs 12:41 a.m.
- Real Salt Lake: Game at a glance 12:36 a.m.
- Paper circulation worse than it looks 12:28 a.m.
- RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks 12:22 a.m.
- Editorial: Cancer screening 12:15 a.m.
- Afterthoughts 12:15 a.m.
- Treat teachers with respect, trust 12:15 a.m.
- 'Reform' helps old, hurts young 12:15 a.m.
- BYU records with win
- Jazz outlast Pistons in overtime
- Glenn Beck to enter politics?
- Cougars turn focus to dreaded rivals
- Man dies after being run over
- Florida No. 1, TCU 4 in AP Top 25
- Former BYU professor remembered
- Cougars put the fun back in football
- Kirilenko heating up for the Jazz
- Wendover airfield's legacy lost?
- Buttars wants to limit gay rights laws
202 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
194 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
178 - RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
140 - BYU records with win
129 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
129 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
101 - Jazz finally win in San Antonio
98 - Utes knock off rival Aggies
93
A little after midnight Wednesday morning, about 21 hours ago as I write...
There's a lot of reason to leave your plastic home as you shop:
I'm a homosexual, and I find the parades offensive to homosexuals! Gays...
can't belive it. This article TOTALLY prves that byu IS a tradition like no...
Well said.
Come on. When they aren't spending our premiums on lobbying politicians, the...
is a weak leader also. We are now into our second generation of raising kids...
always remember that 06' game. always...go cougs!
What? There's a carnival in Rio where people parade around in outlandish...
Glad to hear that RSL won the League, and that USA are throughout to Worlk...
As a liberal I think it's great that Beck wants to be a community organizer...
The number of BYU win Wynn will have after 11/28 game Utah 35 BYU 17



You can be the first to comment on this story.