After residents spent three hours declaring whether they were for or against the first-term mayor, City Council members tabled a proposal to strip Anderson of her administrative powers in favor of a city manager form of government.

But that was only after Anderson agreed to rescind her controversial decision made Tuesday to fire City Administrator Brent Bluth.

“None of us wanted this situation to get to this point,” said Councilmember Nancy Lord, who made the motion to table the proposal, on the terms that Bluth would be reinstated. “I believe everyone in every situation deserves a second chance.”

The council will hold another public hearing on Sept. 26 to revisit the change of government issue.

Councilmen Craig Briggs and Bill Maxwell requested the government change proposal be placed on the agenda after Anderson put Bluth on administrative leave.

They found out Wednesday that Anderson had fired him too.

During the meeting, Maxwell also read a letter from City Planner Glenn Goins announcing Goins' resignation.

Maxwell was the only council member to vote against tabling the change of government proposal.

“We've had these 'Come to Jesus' meetings before where everyone's going to come together and work together,” Maxwell said. “But here we are losing another valuable employee.”

“When we get in a situation where we're dysfunctional, sometimes we're required to take drastic measures.”

Both Briggs and fellow Councilman Jesse Kelley voiced their support of changing the government, but voted to table the issue in the end.

“The reason this is being proposed is apparently there is a great deal of friction between the mayor and the city staff,” Kelley said. “I feel that it would be better to take the day-to-day matters of the administration out of the mayor and into the hands of the council. I don't think it's a power grab.”

Residents spent most of the evening voicing support or disdain for Anderson, very few speaking to the advantages or disadvantages of government change.

Resident Linda Robertson told the council that if they did vote for the government change, she would immediately file for a referendum.

City Attorney Todd Weiler warned such a referendum could put Bluth and the city in limbo until June.

“This is the kind of threat and intimidation that causes us to hedge in establishing public policy,” Briggs said.

thollingshead@sltrib.com