The 2016 General Election ballot asked voters in Lake Point and Stansbury Park whether they wanted to incorporate, and voters countywide if the Tooele County three-member commission form of government should be studied and possibly changed.
Voters in unincorporated Lake Point nearly opted to become a city. Proposition #15 lost by only eight votes with 262 no votes and 254 yes votes.
Voters in unincorporated Stansbury Park were more decisive in their rejection of becoming a new city with 61 percent voting against Proposition #16. Vote tallies were 2,018 against and 1,280 for incorporation.
Countywide voters were also decisive on whether the three-member county commission form of government should be studied and possibly changed. Proposition #14 passed with 65 percent of the vote. The tally was 11,437 in favor of the study and 6,129 against.
“We could not be more excited about the results,” said Erik Gumbrecht, one of the petition sponsors for Proposition #14. “One thing has been absolutely clear during this entire process: The citizens want a sense of ownership of their government.”
While campaigning for the study committee proposition, Gumbrecht said he found a lot of support for completing a county government study. The large margin of support in the election was not a surprise, he said.
“People want to be a part of creating a bright future for this county,” Gumbrecht said. “Once [a] study committee that diversely represents the county is established, citizens will be able to gather data on the pros and cons of the various structures of government and present them to the remaining citizenry in an organized fashion.”
A committee is now in the process of forming another committee of seven to 11 people who will conduct the study. The current three-member commission form of government is the default form of government approved by the state Legislature.
Other forms of county government approved by the state legislature include: An expanded county commission with five or seven commissioners retaining both legislative and executive powers; or a county council with legislative authority and an elected mayor with executive authority.
A group of local citizens collected enough petition signatures to place the question of studying Tooele County government on the Nov. 8 General Election ballot.
Petition supporters needed to collect 1,939 signatures. They turned in 2,334 signatures, of which 2,075 were found to be valid local voters, according to Tooele County Clerk/Auditor Marilyn Gillette.
Wade Hadlock, who spearheaded the incorporation movement for Stansbury Park, and other Stansbury Park incorporation proponents, hoped that incorporation would allow Stansbury residents to be in charge of their future and how their tax dollars are spent.
“We need to incorporate now to build our tax base, protect what we already have, and take control of our future,” Hadlock said.
Opponents to incorporation said they were happy with county services and weren’t ready to wade into the uncharted territory of incorporation, which they feared would bring increased taxes.
“It seems we are being asked to wager our 28 cents a day on a bet that our new city will be run without any mistakes, and that all optimistic cost and services projections will be realized. Sounds like quite a gamble,” said Elliot Morris, Stansbury Park resident.
Stansbury Park’s failure to incorporate was a disappointment for Hadlock. He said the feedback he received concludes now wasn’t the right time for incorporation, but it will happen eventually.
Self determination was also the reason Lake Point residents considered incorporation, according to Jim Willes, one of the sponsors of the petition to incorporate Lake Point.
“Initially it was the county’s proposed municipal services tax that got people talking,” Willes said. “But the more we talked, the more we realized that growth is coming and we want to determine the future of Lake Point.”
For Keith Fryer, the decision to vote against incorporation in Lake Point was made easy by what he said was good quality service provided by Tooele County. Lake Point already provides its own water, sewer and parks, he said.
“I don’t think Lake Point has the resources to support a city,” Fryer said.
Incorporation would mean higher taxes for residents and an extra layer of government, with a commercial base comprised primarily of truck stops and restaurants, Fryer said. He said he works closely with the county commission through the Lake Point Improvement District and feels the commission is responsive to resident requests.
Fryer also said the county has done a good job with the development it has approved in the Lake Point area, specifically citing the Saddleback development that opened access above the railroad tracks and into the foothills through walking trails and other amenities.
Fryer did admit to being surprised by the tight margin in the election, however.
“I didn’t think it would be as close as it was,” he said.
While Stansbury Park and Lake Point voted against incorporation on Election Day, the county’s smallest town of Ophir unincorporated with an 11-7 vote in September after the town’s government was reduced to a single elected official and the town’s assets were frozen by the state auditor.
The certificate of dissolution from the lieutenant governor’s office was signed by 3rd District Court Judge Robert Adkins on Oct. 29, which put in motion the process to consolidate and transfer the town’s assets. Under state law, the town’s assets will transfer to Tooele County School Board.
Staff Writer Mark Watson compiled this report.