In September 2006, the Bluffdale City Council passed an ordinance that stripped Mayor Claudia Anderson of her administrative powers and created the office of city manager.

The council then gave that job to Brent Bluth, whom Anderson had fired earlier in the month.

Bluffdale residents, who are also represented by Weiler, challenged the change in government through a referendum petition, which will go before voters in the November municipal election. In the meantime, Anderson has resumed her duties as Bluffdale's CEO because the council didn't want to wade through a legal battle.

The community divisions that have arisen from the Bluffdale and Syracuse cases prompted Utah Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights, to run a bill during this year's legislative session that would prohibit municipal councils from changing forms of government without a public vote.

The bill, SB41, has gone through some revisions and now calls for a moratorium on enacting manager forms of government until May 5, 2008, and creates a task force to address the issue.

The bill is now before the House of Representatives for consideration.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com