BENNION PETITION LEGAL

A vote to determine whether the Bennion area of Salt Lake County should incorporate as a municipality is legal under state statues, but the County Commission isn't ready to proceed with an incorporation election just yet.

An opinion from deputy Salt Lake County Attorney Gavin J. Anderson has informed county commissioners that an incorporation petition submitted by Bennion residents meets the requirements of state law.State law requires a one-year wait before another incorporation vote can be held in an area where voters have have previously rejected incorporation.

Anderson's opinion says the boundaries outlined in the Bennion petition - 54th South on the north, West Jordan on the south, Murray on the east and 40th West on the west - differ enough from those of a recently rejected Taylorsville-Bennion petition to meet the requirements of the law and avoid the wait.

One related issue that must be resolved is Murray's current consideration of annexing a portion of the area included in the Bennion petition.