A referendum ballot asked voters whether they supported four September 2006 council ordinances that handed the mayor's day-to-day management duties to a city manager or whether they wanted Mayor Claudia Anderson to retain control of city operations.

According to unofficial tallies, the vote came in 893-441 in favor of changing to a manager-strong municipal government.

"The citizens have had the opportunity to vote and express their wishes, I will respect the will of the people," Anderson said in a statement after the election late Tuesday. "I hope the city becomes

what the citizens want."

The six-member council, including Anderson, will now begin a search for a new city manager. Bluffdale has contracted with the interim City Administrator Dave Sanderson through mid-August, but his current part-time job title does not include those executive powers.

Councilwoman Nancy Lord said the council might call a special meeting to appoint an interim manager. Anderson will become more of a ceremonial figurehead, though she will still oversee several committees.

Several residents lambasted Anderson upon exiting the polls Tuesday.

"I feel [the mayor's] best interest is not in the people," said Elvera Naylor. "She needs her powers stripped. She's cost people a lot of money, and this will be an improvement."

Doug Collins called the situation "silly," and he blamed most of it on Anderson.

"Everywhere Claudia goes, there's smoke," he said. "She's costing us alot of money."

But some voters said the result wouldn't solve the deep rift between the council and mayor, and many said they wanted to vote everyone out for acting childish.

"There's so much hate and discontent, we ought to take them all out and start fresh," said Sharolyn Bleak. "It doesn't matter what happens with the vote. They all act like my teenage daughter."

Loretta Dailey agreed, saying she wanted to write on the ballot and vote against everyone.

The overwhelming common ground: everyone wants to move forward.

"This needs to get resolved and business needs to go forward," Rita Harvey said. "Let's be done with the lawsuits and stuff. Bluffdale is growing and we need to be careful about how we grow."

About 38 percent of Bluffdale's registered voters, 1,334 residents, voted in Tuesday's referendum.

sgehrke@sltrib.com