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District boundaries are set for the councils that will be elected in November to lead Millcreek City and five metro townships starting in 2017.

The Salt Lake County Council has unanimously approved the boundaries recommended by a working group, led by County Surveyor Reid Demman and County Clerk Sherrie Swensen.

The approved plan includes a division of Millcreek, which will become the county's 17th city after a decisive vote in November's Community Preservation election, so that the lower-income western side of the community is all in one district while the richer east bench has three City Council seats.

County Councilman Jim Bradley, a Democrat, expressed sympathy for the concerns of a west Millcreek community council leader that a division along those lines was detrimental to her area.

"That's an observation I thought had merit," said Bradley. But, he added, "This is Millcreek's problem now. On the first day in offices, they can do whatever they want" to reshape the new city's internal workings.

Added Republican Councilman Steve DeBry, who knows Millcreek well from being the Unified Police Department officer over the area: "The argument is sound, but I don't know how you can remedy it, given the configuration of the new city. I think that's about as good as it's going to get."

The council-district boundaries in the five metro townships were approved without comment.

Those subdivisions generally were well-accepted at a previous public hearing, particularly after county officials said they would pursue a "housekeeping" bill next legislative session to ensure lightly populated White City, Emigration Canyon and Copperton elect their council members at large rather than by district.

To establish a system of staggered terms for the new council positions, the County Council decided the representatives elected to odd-numbered districts would serve a three-year term before coming up for another vote.

Candidates elected in even-numbered districts would serve an initial one-year term. After these first package of terms, all council members elected subsequently will serve four-year terms, with elections on the municipal-election schedule, said Deputy County District Attorney Gavin Anderson.