South Jordan, Riverton and Taylorsville have not yet determined whether to support Herriman, where the City Council voted last week to sue over the issue.

West-side cities are fuming over an exclusive east-side vote that could splinter the state's largest school district.

Herriman Councilman Keith Adams said the measure violates west-siders' constitutional rights because it prevents them from voting on an issue that will affect them.

"They [east-side cities] have effectively excluded anyone with a contrary point of view from a vote, so it's not really a vote," Adams said Wednesday. "If you remove any potential opposition, the vote is a sham or a farce. Those cities have made this a foregone conclusion with political will on the [Capitol] Hill."

Few cities have solidified their stand against the vote as Herriman has. Some are keeping an eye on whether other west-side cities join a lawsuit and how that would affect their costs.

Riverton delayed a vote Tuesday that would have sent $15,000 to the cause. The council elected instead to see what West Jordan planned to do and to get better estimates regarding how many west-side cities would participate in the suit.

Riverton Mayor Bill Applegarth said he got word the number of cities expected to participate had halved - from six to three - and that could boost Riverton's share of legal fees.

"What will the cost be?" Applegarth asked. "Less cities means higher costs. Our city attorney thought there were two, maybe three [cities], and that would drive the price up considerably. . . . We're concerned about knowing how many cities are involved."

West Jordan, which never was too enthused about suing, voted Tuesday to ask its voters if they want a school district of their own. And with the Granite School District issue dead for this year, West Valley City is bowing out.

But South Jordan might still join the suit. And, even without Granite in question this year, Taylorsville might do the same.

"Our standing with the suit has changed considerably, and our citizens aren't being deprived of a right to vote," Mayor Russ Wall said. "But we haven't ruled anything out. We still think the issue has implications for Taylorsville citizens. We're watching to see what other cities are doing."

But he said the southwest cities, such as Riverton and West Jordan, face the biggest impact - and they are sending mixed signals.

"We're still digesting what happened with the Legislature and the [Salt Lake] County Council," he said. "We haven't made a final decision."

sgehrke@sltrib.com