Wasatch County clerk-auditor Joey Granger said she’s deemed the referendum valid and has released a detailed information packet to help voters decide if they want it on the ballot.
The referendum, submitted to Granger’s office Nov. 15, challenges the legislative development agreement (LDA) permitting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to build a temple just outside the Heber City limits.
Spokesperson Lisa Bahash said she and seven fellow petitioners are seeking the referendum because the county’s decision was wrong.
“An LDA was an improper vehicle to approve the temple,” she said. “The temple should have gone through the conditional use process.”
Wasatch County’s statement in the information packet asks residents not to support the referendum. It argues the temple received “overwhelming public support” and says it will “enhance the quality of life in Wasatch County.”
The council voted in early November to approve plans for an 88,000-square-foot, 200-foot-tall building. It’s slated to be constructed on an 18-acre site on Center Street.
A study of the financial and legal impact of the referendum is also included in the packet. Granger and a county attorney estimate there will be no major tax impact if the referendum succeeds. But they say repealing the ordinance would infringe on the LDS church’s property rights and might infringe on its religious rights.
As the next step in the referendum process, petitioners have 45 days to collect signatures. Granger said they need 16% of registered voters, more than 3,200 people, by the end of January to get the referendum on the November ballot.
Bahash said she feels confident the group can meet that threshold.
“If you don’t like what the county did and how they went about doing it, this is your opportunity to put it in the hands of the voters of the county,” she said. “This is a big decision... It’s suitable that the residents of Wasatch County vote on it.”
Two lawsuits are also pending against the county related to the temple plans. One, filed by the Dark Skies group, addresses the outdoor lighting code change approved in April and incorporated into the temple plans. The other lawsuit seeks to overturn the county’s Nov. 8 approval of the LDA, plat and site plan.
Complete information about the referendum can be found on the county clerk's website. Details about the residents’ efforts are also available on the Save Wasatch Back Dark Skies website.
