Summit reform bill passes committee

A Coalville lawmaker is pushing a bill that, if it passes, would allow Summit County voters to abandon their new controversial form of government that passed with 50.5 percent of the votes in November.

It could also cause five other counties in the state to rethink their county governance, including Salt Lake, Morgan, Wasatch, Grand and Cache.

State law allows for counties to switch from the traditional three-member commission to one of six other options, which include adding more commissioners and putting a mayor, appointed manager or other elected executive at the head.

HB348 would give voters the power to petition and repeal a prior government change. If passed, the county could then return to their former form.

Newly elected Rep. Mel Brown, R-Coalville, is sponsoring the bill. Brown, whose district includes Summit, Morgan and Wasatch counties, said his primary reason for sponsoring the bill was to give citizens a chance to repeal the new form and require county elections to remain partisan.

"It became evident in the process, even though there's a process by which we can select an additional form ... there's no place in the statute where it allows us an opportunity after a period of time to repeal that form and go back to their original form," Brown said.

Constituents of a county can do so by getting 10 percent to 15 percent of the registered voters in the last gubernatorial election to sign a petition in favor of the change. Ten percent of the voters means the county council will ultimately decide if the issue goes on the ballot, while 15 percent of the voters means the issue immediately goes on the ballot.

Rep. John Mathis, R-Vernal, said he was concerned with the smaller 10 percent signature requirement. He added that in his district, which includes Grand County, only 300-400 signatures would be needed to make a ballot initiative out of the debate.

"It's been a very heated issue over the years in that particular county," Mathis said. If someone who had a "bone to pick" led the charge, voting could happen every couple years, he said. "I'm afraid we're going to create a battle every three of four years."

Brown, however, said the bill is in reaction to the government change in Morgan County, where many citizens do not like their nonpartisan elections.

"The people have basically lost their interest in government," Brown said.

But in Summit County, a voter-driven change could be likely if the bill passes.

The county first studied whether or not to change their former three-member commission to five members and a county manager. Constituents were divided on the issue and the proposition passed with west-side voters, where popular skiing hot spots Park City and Snyderville Basin are located. However, it failed in the east-side towns, home to the smaller farming communities.

Brown's bill passed the House Government Operations Standing Committee unanimously Friday.

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