Bluffdale residents rebuke city leaders

BLUFFDALE — Residents of this southwest Salt Lake County city say they are fed up with the ongoing feud between the mayor and City Council, and one of them is calling for Mayor Claudia Anderson to resign.

Spurred by reports that more than $60,000 of taxpayers' money has been used to pay legal fees incurred by the Bluffdale City Council because of a pair of lawsuits filed by the mayor, residents turned the public comment portion of Tuesday night's City Council meeting into a lecture on how to act like grown-ups — and the need for the city's elected officials to settle their differences.

"I'm frustrated to see six good people fighting," Bluffdale resident RoyAnn Gregerson said. "I'm tired of reading about fighting and the tax (money) that has been wasted. I want the fighting to stop."

Gregerson said she circulated a petition earlier this month and collected 66 signatures from Bluffdale residents who want to see the governmental infighting stop. She followed that effort over the weekend with a telephone survey of 276 residents to get their opinion on the state of the city's government.

"I did this because I believe you should think about what Bluffdale citizens think is important," she said. "We are who you should be serving."

Gregerson said 102 of the people she contacted voiced their support for the City Council, compared with 23 who support the mayor. Another 54 said they were frustrated with both the mayor and council and would like to see them all out of office "because all of you are acting like children," she said.

"I urge you all to start patching things up, stop thinking about what you want and start thinking about what we want," she said.

Gregerson also asked Anderson not to appeal rulings of the court that found in favor of the City Council. The mayor said she would honor that request.

"I think the people have spoken," Anderson said, "and I will certainly follow the people's voice."

Longtime Bluffdale resident Al Halbert wasn't nearly as diplomatic. He said he's been embarrassed by the actions of Mayor Anderson and called for her to step down.

"If you had any decency left in you, you would apologize to the city, withdraw your lawsuits and resign immediately," Halbert said.