Should county posts be appointed?

The election season has come and gone, but the question remains: Who was that guy you voted in as auditor?

You probably knew as little about what it takes to be a county auditor, recorder, clerk, surveyor or treasurer as you did about the candidates.

So why even vote for the positions? It's a question Rep. John Dougall, R-Highland, wants the answer to. He's considering legislation to appoint people to serve in these positions, rather than going through the costly election process.

County elected officials worry that such a move could spark scandal throughout county governments. Salt Lake County Recorder Gary Ott warns that if Dougall's bill passes, an era of "cronyism" will take over county government.

"Who do you think the mayor would appoint? People who helped him to be mayor," Ott said. "Basically you are just denying the public their right to choose who is there."

Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon insists that would never happen. "I don't think it would ever go that far," he said.

Corroon is undecided on what method would be best for county government, appointing or electing several county officers.

On the one hand, having all the officials "on one team together" would streamline services, Corroon said. But then again, elected officials provided a needed check and balance in the muddy waters of county government, he said.

"It does help dilute power from one elected official or another, and adds another check and balance to the go process," Corroon said.

If Corroon had had the task of appointing the county assessor, he could have faced some ethical issues this year, since he disputed his property taxes with the assessor.

"If the assessor were an appointed official, would he then have reason to feel uncomfortable in assessing my property at a different rate, just because I had appointed him?" Corroon said.

That's exactly the problem that worries Ott, if Dougall goes forward with the legislation.

Say there was a boundary dispute, and the mayor had a stake in the issue and pressured the county recorder to "fudge it a little bit." Ott said most recorders would feel obligated to do what the mayor wanted, since he or she is the one who holds the purse strings and ultimately their job security.