Eli Anderson, a former state legislator from Bothwell, said Friday the referendum appears to have broad support.

Several pages of petitions were completed the first day, he said, adding that the grass-roots groups must gather 2,400 signatures on each by early February to qualify the referendum for the ballot.

"There is just a ton of interest out there from the people because they want to be heard," Anderson said.

The opponents of the commission's move are actually circulating three petitions; one for each of the resolutions passed 2-to-1 by the Box Elder County Commission on Dec. 18.

Landfill-sale opponents were miffed that the commission had already decided the matter before the public hearing at the Dec. 18 meeting.

Moments after the hearing ended, they voted and brought out the contracts to sign, Anderson said.

"Why even have the hearing? They just went through the motions."

Opponents don't like the idea of selling the Box Elder County Landfill near Tremonton to an alliance of four garbage districts - including Box Elder County - that stretch from south Davis County to the Idaho line.

"This is a big thing to sell off a county asset like that," said Anderson.

The two commissioners who voted for the change, however, say it will save county residents money because a larger landfill - made possible by regional ownership - will achieve economies of scale.

Commissioners Clark Davis and Jay Hardy, who defeated Anderson for the commission seat in 2006, approved the sale. Rich Van Dyke voted against it.

Without the change, Box Elder residents will see soaring garbage fees because the landfill is losing money, Davis said recently. The city of Perry and an area of the county near Willard have begun sending their garbage elsewhere, putting a strain on others in the county.

If all the garbage now controlled by the Northern Utah Regional Landfill Authority comes to the landfill, Box Elder County would get royalties amounting to $900,000 a year for the general fund, Davis has said.

But that's not likely for another decade.

kmoulton@sltrib.com

Three issues at heart of battle

Box Elder County residents are circulating three petitions that would allow residents to vote on the same resolutions approved by the County Commission last month. If enough vote against the resolutions, the commission's decisions will be reversed.

The first authorizes the sale of the county's Little Mountain landfill.

The second authorizes Box Elder County's participation in the alliance that would buy the landfill.

The third authorizes a lease of Little Mountain until the Northern Utah Regional Landfill Authority takes over.

The four parties to the authority that would own the landfill are Wasatch Integrated Systems, which handles all of Morgan County's and all but Bountiful's garbage in Davis County; Weber County; Box Elder County; and Logan, which handles all of Cache County's garbage.