OCR Text |
Show toiily if Ktorgsr F'sipsal Boiig SIm&I i u. ...... fln.t m fiml mil if the mereer regulated and kept out of existing ex-isting residential areas. The cost of government might be reduced over a period of time through centralization of departments; the larger, consolidated city might have a better chance at acquiring fed eral and state development grants. THE CITY would have greater bonding potential and be less dependent upon the county and state funding. Mayor Sant suggested that the participating mayors re turn to their councils for a discussion dis-cussion on the merger, hear input in-put from citizen's committees and finally analyze the results of those meetings and the proposed feasibility study. PENDING THE results of . the feasibility study, the issue would then be placed on the ballot in November for each of the cities to decide. As part of his presentation. Mayor Sant informed his audience audi-ence that in an informal comparison com-parison of operational costs of other larger Utah cities, there appeared to be very little actual cost savings. "YOU WOULD think there would be more cost savings by combining.' but the mayor said the evidence proves otherwise. He said there might be some eventual savings on water, sewer and refuse collection collec-tion costs, but the four cities already work cooperatively in their police and fire departments. depart-ments. "There is a cooperative spirit between the cities." he told the other mayors. But. he added. "We still should be concerned about that (Clinton) agricultural land. I really believe be-lieve that we must look at those types of things." ACCORDING to Mayo-Sant, Mayo-Sant, the one big advantage to the merger would be the city's increased tax base. But some Clearfield city councilmen were worried that Clearfield might end up paying more in taxes than anyone else being the largest city among the three. All three mayors agreed to bring the issue "to the people" first, to find out if the merger would, indeed, save the cities money in the long run. - WEST POINT Mayor Loy Blake said "We're doing some ; research and we're hoping to come up with the right -j answer." He. too. agreed that the residents must have the fin- rial ri-al say. ; "1 think it's the people's choice." ! A UTAH State University researcher has offerred to "Z. complete the feasibility study for the merger at no cost to any of the cities. r; "It seems to me that it (mer- ger) has to be researched as far as pro's and con s." said ". Clearfield Councilman Neldon Hamblin. -r. SUPPORTING THE study. Z Sunset Councilman Gene Kidd made it clear that some of the residents he has come in :B. contact with are not happy with the idea of the merger. "I have not had one person." per-son." the Sunset mailman said, "that has supported the merger idea." r: By MARK D. MICKELSEN CLEARFIELD Will the consolidation of three north Davis communities create a larger, more expensive beauracracy? WILL CITY officials have as much time to listen to Iheir citizens? Will now virgin agricultural lands have to be used for future residential growth? V k WILL NEW zoning laws be needed to regulate growth and development throughout the city? These and an unknown myriad of other questions must be answered before Clearfield. Sunset and West Point make a decision on whether or not to merge into one single city. MAYORS FROM the three communities met jointly last Tuesday in Clearfield and agreed to pursue a feasibility study aimed at uncovering the advantages and disadvantages of community consolidation. Clinton city, one of the original ori-ginal merger candidates has apparently dropped its name from the list of cities being considered. con-sidered. Mayor Keith Cisney and the council in agreement that the merger might encroach en-croach upon the city's valuable valu-able agricultural ground. CLEARFIELD Mayor Don-al Don-al Townley assured his com munity Tuesday that the cities want only to "explore the possibilities" pos-sibilities" of the merger. "This type of issue has to be put on the ballot," he said. In a presentation to the other mayors, Sunset Mayor Norm Sant said the whole idea behind the merger study is to determine the cost of government, govern-ment, "while protecting the quality of life in the communities." communi-ties." HE SAID the disadvantages of the system, though indefinite, indefi-nite, may or may not outweigh the advantages. The adisadvantages, as outlined out-lined by Mayor Sant, are that the merger would: create some greater initial debts for the newly consolidated city; encourage en-courage a larger government entity; develop more beauracracy. beaurac-racy. ALSO, REDUCE city officials' offi-cials' responsiveness to their citizens; require the establishment establish-ment of more internal departments, depart-ments, department chiefs and work levels. The advantages are: Provisions Provi-sions could be made for a specific spe-cific zoning ordinance to include in-clude commercial, industrial, agricultural and residential ground. THE larger agricultural areas could be protected from future residential or commercial commer-cial growth; commercial zones could be stabilized and |