When it passed in March, House Bill 356 mandated Summit County to abandon its all at-large council seats and create five new voter districts. Wasatch County was swept up in the change as well, but on Monday, it was granted what it said it was promised: an exemption.
In a special legislative session, a majority of lawmakers voted to amend the law, so the historically conservative county can keep its five districted and two at-large council seats.
Now, the revised legislation has been sent to Gov. Spencer Cox for his signature.
Not every lawmaker was enthusiastic about amending HB356. And some had strong words against how Wasatch County has handled the law. Leaders there opted to ignore the legislation, banking on lawmakers creating an exception.
Sen. Daniel McCay, a Republican from Salt Lake City, said he was voting “no” because he didn’t understand why creating an all-districted council was important for Summit County, but not Wasatch.
“This is Wasatch County asking for a special favor when they were completely out of compliance with the law,” he said. “They had no intent to comply with the law. And as the result of kind of thumbing their nose at us, and even further, looked at the policy and said, ‘Yeah, we’re not going to do that’ – and then we turn around in a special session and pass a bill that says, ‘Yeah, you don’t have to do that’? I don’t know any county or city, period, that we’ve ever done that for or done that to.”
Some of McCay’s colleagues voted with him. Still, the legislation passed the Senate 15-11.
Earlier in the day, the bill soared through the House, 57-16.
The new version also adds penalties for failing to comply. If Summit County doesn’t form districts, the state can withhold transient room tax revenue. The legislation previously had no clear consequences for noncompliance.
The special session came just days before the Summit County Council must vote on the map to divide the county into geographic districts instead of its former at-large model.
The law requires Summit County councilmembers adopt the map recommended by the districting commission by Oct. 15.
Summit County started a public hearing about the new council districts at its meeting Oct. 1, but hit pause before taking a vote. Residents can comment when the hearing resumes Wednesday at 6 p.m.
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