After a number of elected officials raised concerns that it would dilute the separation of powers, a House committee defeated a bill Tuesday that would have allowed some counties to appoint, rather than elect, key positions like auditor, clerk and treasurer.
The decision of whether these positions should be appointed ultimately would have been up to county voters, and any of Utah’s 29 county governments or their residents could have gone through a process to put the question on the ballot.
Rep. Christine Watkins, the bill’s sponsor, argued the change would help ensure more qualified people fill those offices — particularly in rural communities like hers.