Utah’s least populated counties would be limited to only the commission form of government under a bill that stalled twice before a House committee this week.
Current law permits county voters to choose either a commission- or council-based government. But Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, said the governance options of rural areas must be restricted to protect against “hostile takeovers” by environmental groups and new residents with a preservationist agenda.
Lyman presented his bill, HB257, for the second time on Friday to the House Political Subdivisions Committee, which ultimately failed to advance the legislation to the full House on a split 5-5 vote.