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Show salt lake r ViESlP '4lU .m free news neighborhood weekly community news for metro Salt Lake volume two june 14, 1973 number forty Citizens Have Opportunity To Share Planning For New Forms Of Government by Tim Funk of government. The Study group is exploring these possibilities. Police and airport operations "should be taken out of the elective process Salt Lake City Public Safety Commissioner James L. Barker recommended at the weekly meeting of the Salt Lake Commissioner Barker said the boards could be easily included in any form of government that might come out of the study effort. He favors consolidation of government into one county-wid- e authority with "a separation of powers." Currently, he explained, commissioners make laws and administer them, too. Commissioner wants County Government city-count- y Modernization Study group, Tuesday, June 5. Special boards to direct police and airport business should be set up as part of any form of local government, said the Commissioner. The boards would be similar to the present City-Count- y structure Health board which he thinks functions well. City Commissioners who must run the police stand for department and the airport, he said, and these activities are too important to face the abuses of politics. The Government Modernization Study group he addressed is holding regular meetings in all parts of Salt Lake County to gather information from citizens about new forms of government. bill passed in the 1973 General Session of the State A Legislature makes it possible for Utah counties to change their form Commissioner James L. Barker Residents offer questions and comments to study commission. Ber ea IW federal what miniature" and govenTeTVp prekhjtffucture wh a definite h (arreaed mayor) and an elected council to mafce'the r laws. Each council member might represent specific identifiable areas in the county, he said. adrpipistVator s v Realistically, the Commissioner noted, many small towns and cities will want to keep their local identity and it will be difficult for the study group to convince them otherwise. To overcome this, a county government will have to be designed that is "desirable" for the hesitant to join, stated Barker. Double taxation, the taxing of the same residents by both the city and the county, was another issue discussed at the meeting. |