"The minute a board starts to micromanage an organization, it opens opportunities for the public and employees to seek out advice or favorable decisions from specific members of the board," said Cornia, who also sits on the Utah Tax Review Commission. "That's not what you want to have happen."

UTA stands firmly behind its board and operational structure. And independent audit from the past five years show no material issues with how the company operates, or its financial structure. Recommendations were made to improve safety and security of financial computer systems, but nothing was said about UTA management, or the board. The reports were done by Deloitte & Touche, and are required annually.

"We have studied governance extensively," said UTA attorney Bruce Jones, who also serves as the board's legal counsel. "We have hired outside consultants. We have gone to national groups, and this model you see at UTA reflects what we think is the best model in the country."

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com