Democratic-led Salt Lake County has taken some lumps this year on Utah's Capitol Hill -- and not from the Republican Legislature. These bruises are coming from Salt Lake City, another Democratic enclave that has proven itself more foe than friend this legislative season.
Well … the county has had enough.
The County Council this week gave the capital some political pushback: It held up funding for an open-space purchase, and Chairman Joe Hatch branded Salt Lake City's Democratic mayor a "butthead."
"Why should we do any kind of heavy lifting right now for Salt Lake City," Hatch asked, "when they treat us like they would rather have us just go away?"
Those tensions surfaced this week as the county sifted through parcels that would make best use of the remaining $6 million in a parks and open-space bond. Among those requests: a conservation easement near Wasatch Hollow Park, proposed in partnership with Salt Lake City.
County Council members tabled it -- an attention-getting snub that they tied to failed communication with the city and the capital's opposition to a township-preserving bill.
"I'm going to use my energy for people who like talking to us," snapped Hatch, who then told the city's open-space coordinator, Emy Storheim, to relay that backhanded message to her boss.
"Amen," chimed in GOP County Councilman Michael Jensen.
The move left Salt Lake City steaming. Mayor Ralph Becker issued a statement criticizing the council's decision to hold the money at bay.
"We shouldn't let occasional differences get in the way of doing what's best for our community and the residents we serve," he wrote.
City Councilman J.T. Martin went further, saying the county is treating residents as a political football.
"This council was not amused," Martin said. "We would never, ever dress down a county employee. We would never call a disparaging comment to an elected official over the dais. That was really poor form."
So why the sudden outburst? Much of it has to do with the city's stance against legislation that would retain the county's six unincorporated townships such as Millcreek, Magna and Kearns. The county has fought vigorously to protect those suburbs, dubbing the township bill its top priority.
City leaders insist their opposition to SB73 is philosophical -- that pockets of the Salt Lake Valley should be able to decide whether to annex or incorporate without the county acting as final arbiter.
"A denial of funding for open-space protection, simply because the council is unhappy with an opposing position Salt Lake City has taken on a completely unrelated issue, seems shortsighted," Becker continued, adding that most valley cities oppose the township bill.
But the money wasn't denied, county leaders insist. It's on hold until the two governments can air their differences face to face.
You see, the county feels betrayed. Didn't it lobby for a TRAX extension to the airport, sink millions into the capital for open-space preservation and help rebuild the Northwest Recreation Center?
"It just feels like they ask and ask and ask," Jensen said. "When we finally ask this year, they say no."
County leaders complain that communication is missing, but Becker insists city leaders go "out of their way" to keep the dialogue flowing.
If the sides do summit, the county will have some hot-tempered rhetoric to answer for. Consider this broadside by Hatch, who suggested the city should act a little more congenial if it wants the county's cooperation in tapping federal stimulus dollars:
"Boy, it sure would be nice for him [Becker] to be friendly to us, instead of being a butthead," said Hatch, a former county Democratic Party boss who later apologized. He explained that his frustration was directed at the city's nonelected bureaucracy, not the Democratic mayor.
The County Council's other Democrats largely share Hatch's dissatisfaction.
"At some point, you can only get tweaked so many times before you say to yourself, 'Cooperation between governments is a two-way street,' " Randy Horiuchi said. While the councilman plans to vote in favor of the open-space projects, he wants this message clear: "No more are you going to kick sand in our face."
That public chastisement and the delay in open-space funding have spurred criticism from Utah League of Cities and Towns lobbyist Lincoln Shurtz -- who said the jabs aren't "doing any favors" for negotiations on the township bill -- and from Becker.
"I hope, in the spirit of good government and good public policy," Becker wrote, "if differences of opinion crop up again, we can have a more direct and productive dialogue."
A bill that would permanently protect the boundaries of unincorporated townships such as Magna, Millcreek and Kearns has passed through a Senate committee.
Sen. Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City, successfully shepherded SB73 through the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee this week despite lingering reservations from the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
But before the bill reaches a vote on the Senate floor, supporters must huddle with high-powered foes such as the league to work out a compromise on how neighborhoods can break away from townships and annex into cities.
Jeremiah Stettler
