From Deseret News archives:
Utah ballot briefs
The new form is expected to free up elected officials from running the day-to-day business of the county with the job to be taken over by an appointed county manager. The new council is expected to address growing problems of traffic congestion and balancing concerns of rural and urban areas of the county.
— Rebecca Palmer
Springville residents approved issuing $9.8 million in bonds over the next 21 years to cover the costs of constructing a new library. The measure was leading 58 percent to 42 percent with 13 of 15 precincts reporting as of press time.
City officials estimate the total cost of the 45,000-square-foot library will be about $14 million, and it is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010.
— Jens Dana
Partial voting results by Cedar Hills residents indicated support for a proposed sales tax increase in the city by one-tenth of 1 percent to support funding of publicly owned or publicly operated parks, recreational and cultural facilities within the city. The measure was winning with 65 percent of the vote with two of four precincts reporting.
The City Council put the tax, similar to one passed in Orem in 2005, on this year's ballot in June following the ground-breaking for a Wal-Mart along with several other retail stores in the area. Under the proposal, the city will receive tax from residents and non-residents who shop in the city.
— Ethan Thomas
A ballot measure to sell the Little Mountain landfill to the Northern Utah Regional Landfill Authority appeared headed to defeat with more than 60 percent of the vote reported as of press time.
Should the trend stand, NURLA will go back to the drawing board at its next meeting to decide what to do. Options include looking for another regional landfill location in Box Elder County or sending garbage to a commercial landfill in Tooele County.
Box Elder County commissioners had voted in 2007 to sell the landfill for $4.4 million to NURLA, which was created by Cache, Box Elder, Weber, Davis and Morgan counties to deal with the shrinking life in local landfills. Under the agreement, the Little Mountain site, located near Corinne, would be renovated with liners, which it currently doesn't have, as well as other state-of-the-art amenities and could serve the five counties for 80 years.
