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Show I OPINIONS"31, ru IS FCAG OUT ON A LIMB? Is the FCAG out on a limb? This newspaper news-paper has opposed the FCAG since their amendment to the articles of incorporation gave them the power to sue and be sued and to make contracts. Our opposition has been based upon the fact that we believe it to be unconstitutional for the County Commissions, Commis-sions, School Boards and City Councils to delegate their authority to any agency or political subdivision, without ratification of that body's actions, expenditures, etc., by each and every local government entity. It would seem that an Attorney General's Gen-eral's opinion, to Sen. Douglas Bischoff, written by Assistant Attorney General Jack L. Crellin, agrees with our position. In view of that fact we may well have a political monster in the FCAG, with a million and a half budget, that has no legal state or local authority to handle or spend money, or make rules or regulations. The opinion published in Tuesday's Salt Lake Tribune stated: "Multi-county planning plan-ning districts created In Utah by Gov. Calvin L. Rampton's executive order in 1970 are advisory only, upon local government bodies, and the districts create no political subdivisions sub-divisions having separate authority." "Sen. Bischoff had asked if the governor gover-nor had the authority to create, by executive order, "state regional government" and if the existing seven multi -county planning districts were "legal political subdivisions of the state." "Mr. Crellin replied, "no" on both questions." It is our belief that a serious problem exists only In the FCAG, where the above stated amendment was passed by the steering steer-ing committee, giving authority to the FCAG, which has never been ratified by local government gov-ernment bodies. It is our understanding, in talking to commissioners and mayors from other multi -county associations, that they have retained all authority provided by the constitution. To our knowledge, no local governmental government-al body ever ratified the amendment passed by the FCAG steering committee, in 1973. However, the power authorized by the amendment has been assumed by the administration ad-ministration of the FCAG. In doing so they have subverted both state and local agencies in several fields the most noticeable In the areas of health and law enforcement, often duplicating services ser-vices still provided on both state and local levels. They have assumed control of the manpower training program with a budget of over a half-million dollars this year which we believe could be administered at less cost and more effectively, through local school districts. As we have stated many times there are areas in which multi -county associations associa-tions can cooperate. However, cooperation is a two-way street meaning that those who are partners in cooperation should be partners by choice - not by force - or because be-cause they are scared of the consequences if they don't cooperate. We will be "watching carefully" to see If this opinion from the Attorney General's office aids in taming the monster FCAG into a useful tool for local governmental bodies or If It continues ' to gobble up local agencies, assuming more and more power, until it replaces the constitutionally guaranteed guaran-teed local governing bodies of the counties, cities and school districts. "Red" |