From Deseret News archives:
Planning for orderly growth
But one could say the same about much of the rest of the county, as well. County officials are to be commended, for example, for putting more resources into planning along the west bench, where a half-million new residents are expected to move within the next several decades. A more aggressive countywide effort would be better one that involves leaders from all cities within the county.
This isn't a new idea, nor are today's leaders the first to recognize the need for more cohesive planning across municipal boundaries. Decades ago, people already were envisioning the day of either wall-to-wall cities in the county or the consolidation of all cities into one unified city-county government.
Back in the 1980s, the county organized the "Government for the Next Century Task Force," made up of prominent residents and political leaders. Its charge was to recommend the best way to govern the county in the 21st century. The group came up with a plan for changing the county's form of government one similar to the council-mayor form eventually adopted. But it said the real long-term solution would be to consolidate everything into one.
But a consolidated government isn't going to happen. The next best thing is to provide a reasonable process for orderly and consistent planning, and for logical annexations. The county shouldn't be left with the responsibility to provide municipal services to a disjointed patchwork of neighborhoods that cannot provide the tax base necessary to support those services. Cities shouldn't be allowed to simply cherry-pick the most lucrative annexations.
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