This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Three years ago, the citizens of Millcreek Township voted 60 percent to 40 percent to stop the city incorporation of Millcreek. The compelling reasons then are the same today:

• Avoid a duplicate level of a costly city government bureaucracy.

• Keep our municipal services with a AAA-rated provider.

• Not risk the possibility of losing our UPD police and UFA fire departments.

• Preserve sales tax revenue and economies of scale from county-wide sources (Kennecott) to support all Metro Townships and unincorporated areas of the county. (Cities do not receive any financial benefit from Kennecott.)

• Preclude a new city government from assessing franchise taxes on cellphones, phones, water, gas, power, and other taxes unique only to a city.

A majority in Millcreek likes and wants to keep our existing municipal AAA-rating and mature services provided currently by Salt Lake County. We want the economies of scale and love the implementation of an elected township council that will have direct accountability to we, the people, for budget and expenditures in Millcreek. The clear and compelling choice is to vote "yes" for a Metro Millcreek Township and "yes" for the Metropolitan Service District.

Three years ago, the pro-city people used fear of annexation as the reason to become a city. This go-around, they spread a message of fear that we in Millcreek won't have local participation and representation in the financial decisions. Once again, they misrepresent professional, third-party reports to paint inaccurate conclusions. Their mailers are an attempt to confuse neighbors that appear to be the official print of the Millcreek Township Newsletter but is titled, "Millcreek Decisions."

They purport Millcreek "tax dollars are going to the west-side" of the valley. To the contrary, without the sales tax revenue from Kennecott, we would not enjoy the effective level of municipal services currently delivered.

This November election is a referendum, again, on keeping Millcreek as a township, with an elected local Township council, not a costly and overreaching city with a paid mayor, city council, staff and office space.

Our Millcreek Township council will have full budgetary and financial control for Millcreek expenditures. We don't need to jeopardize our cost-effective municipal services from a financially sound AAA- rated municipal government.

Let's not be swayed by the pro-city clever deceptions. They want you to believe Millcreek Township and the other townships in the valley will be cobbled together in a "mega-city: and we in Millcreek will have no say or vote on how our taxes are spent in Millcreek. Nothing is further from the truth.

Interestingly, the pro-city folks acknowledge they need start-up costs for their new city and suggest they will immediately go into debt to raise the funds needed to start their city. Really?

This election, with mail-in ballots, vote "yes" for Millcreek Metro Township and "yes" to join the MSD.

Max G. Worthington is president of Preserve and Protect our Millcreek Township.