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Show Editorial Comments Vote YES on Consolidation Several years ago, after the Utah State Legislature passed laws permitting optional forms of government, the Grand County Commissioners appointed a citizen committee here to study the twelve alternate proposals to see if one of them would not give Moab and Grand County a better form of government. After intensive study, the committee which was made up of a representative cross section of the county, decided that if the Legislature would amend one of the plans to a certain degree, they would recommend it to the County and City for presentation to local voters. Those amendments were made. According to statements from County leaders, there was no outside pressure from state or regional government to make such a recommendation. It was purely a decision of the local committee, and it was unanimous. The reasons for consolidation seemed obvious. While it was questionable as to whether or not great economies might be produced particularly during the change-over period it was completely apparent that a more efficient governmental structure would emerge. Duplication of accounting systems, police departments, etc., would be eliminated along with the jealousies, bickering and outright conflict that had marred the past decade in Moab City and Grand County agencies. The plan, in Its simplest definition, called lor a five-member County Council to be elected at large from the County, along with a chief judicial officer, the County Attorney. That council would in turn employ a City-County Manager, much as the Grand County School Board employs a Superintendent of Schools. That professional administrator would in turn employ department heads. Safeguards against hiring and firing were built into the plan. Attention was paid to most minute details so that all problems during a phase-in period might be identified in advance and solved when they appeared. A complete separation of powers an American safeguard and tradition was guaranteed, with the County Council being the Legislative Branch; the Manager and his full-time staff being the Administrative Branch and the elected County Attorney representing the Judicial Branch. The proposal has, without question, been highly controversial in Grand County and Moab City. Lines have formed on both sides of the issue. Charges have been leveled by both sides against others. But basically, it has been a good debate, and any Grand County resident who truly wants to be informed on the proposal, has no excuse for not knowing what the plan contains, and what the arguments are for and against. We at The Times have been convinced from the outset that consolidation was something that should be tried in Grand County. There are those who have charged that we should have maintained a neutral role, letting others do the debating. But to do that would have been to ignore the basic role of journalism in American society. The editor who does not study issues, form opinions and make those opinions public is not fulfilling his responsibility. Realizing that we were taking an opinionated stand, however, we have never denied the use of our letters columns or advertising columns for comments from others who do not agree with us. We feel that during all of this, we have maintained good rapport with those who disagree with us, and that we have a good deal of respect for their opinions and motivations. It is hoped that that respect is returned for our decision to support the proposal editorially. We have a marvelous opportunity in Grand County to try and find a better way, to try to solve many of the conflicts that have plagued our local government agencies historically, and to build a better Grand County lor those who come after us. The plan is not set in concrete. If portions ol it are not perfect, they can be perfected. If the entire plan is found to be unworkable after a few years, it can be abandoned. If elected Council members are not living up to their pledges, they can be recalled. If appointed officials attempt to wield too much power, that power can be curtailed by the policy-making elected board just as is done and has been done for years in Grand County School District. Thomas Jefferson, that great American president who had such a hand in forming that almost perfect union in 1776, spoke once on changing government, and those words are enshrined in the beautiful memorial to Jefferson on the banks of the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. Jefferson said that while he was not in favor of constant and frequent changes in the form of government, Americans should never lose sight of the fact that as conditions change and a nation matures, its people must be willing and ready to change the form of government to meet the needs of a changing society. Even then, Jefferson could see that the America of 1776 might be vastly different from the America of 1976, and that its . people must be flexible enough to continually try new experiments in government just as v that change which occurred in 1776 was a great experiment that worked. . We feel that Grand County would benefit greatly from a consolidated government. We honestly feel that our debate locally has been a good one, free from outside interference, ' although plenty of that has been offered on both sides. Feeling as we do, we strongly urge a vote for the proposal next Tuesday. Sam Taylor |