No Syracuse compromise

SYRACUSE — During a Tuesday night meeting, the Syracuse City Council offered to change most of Mayor Fred Panucci's duties back to the way they were Oct. 9, 2006.

But a group suing the city called it a token offering and says it won't drop its suit.

So the council decided not to implement its proposal.

A judge is expected to rule today whether the Syracuse should revert to the way it operated Oct. 9, 2006.

On Oct. 10, 2006, the City Council voted 4-1 to give city CEO duties to then-city administrator Ken Hubler, who has since been fired.

Panucci, who says city residents elected him twice with the understanding he would be the city's CEO, opposed the change.

The council also voted to elevate Hubler's title from city administrator to city manager.

A group of Syracuse residents, who thought residents should decide the change in management, brought a lawsuit against the city in early February, asking a 2nd District Court judge to intervene and force a change.

The group says the Syracuse City Council was supposed to hold off on implementing its Oct. 10 ordinance because the group gathered enough petition signatures to force a vote in the city.

But the council members who supported the ordinance say simply reverting city to Oct. 9 operations would cause confusion with who reports to whom.

Second District Judge Thomas Kay told the two groups during a Feb. 20 hearing to work out their problems outside of court.

"This shows how inflexible this group has been since the start," said Councilman Danny Hammon.

The council didn't propose to change the title of city manager back to city administrator because the city has a job posting for a city manager and doesn't want to repost the job.

Councilman Phil Orton said he thought the council gave a lot toward a compromise.

"I think we gave too much," Orton said. "Why aren't they willing to step up?"

But the litigants say that the council should rescind the ordinance because that's what the Utah Constitution says to do.

"Who are we to compromise the law of the land, which is the constitution?" said Larry Shingleton, one of the litigants. "It's a city run by committee now."

Today's hearing is at 9 a.m. in Farmington in front of 2nd District Judge Jon Memmott.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com