It took Blanding Republican Rep. Phil Lyman three tries to get HB257 through a House committee. He doesn’t have that luxury in the Utah Senate with the last committee meetings held Monday.
The Senate Government Operations Committee deadlocked 2-2 Monday on the bill, which would limit counties of the 5th and 6th classes — under 11,000 population — to only a three-person commission form of government with no ability to change to a different governing structure.
“It doesn’t take away their control,” Lyman said. “They still elect their county commissioners.”
He acknowledged his bill would remove options currently available to low-population counties, but he argues the change is necessary to protect existing governments from “unfriendly” attempts by outside influences to disrupt or even take over rural government.