Under the statewide “preliminary municipality” pilot program, a small group of landowners can apply to create a town on mostly undeveloped land.
The Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office can accept two proposals each year, and in 2026, there were four applications from Summit and Wasatch counties.
Concerned about what the program could mean for the Wasatch Back, leaders from both counties met Wednesday to discuss their strategy for opposing the law.
“I feel like we’re probably all united on this idea that this is a horrible idea and it’s usurping local land use control,” Summit County Councilmember Canice Harte said. “And I believe local government and people that live in those communities are best at making these decisions.”
He said he’s concerned the state could “weaponize” the program and begin accepting more than just two applications each year.
Wasatch County Manager Dustin Grabau said he doesn’t think the program meets its stated goal of providing more affordable housing. He also worried about giving a few developers the powers of local government.
“These are serious powers that come with really long-lasting consequences, and to put that in the hands of one or two or three people is, I think, unwise,” he said.
The Wasatch County Council plans to ask state leaders to repeal the law at its meeting Aug. 19.
Grabau said he’d like to see Summit County take action, too.
“We want to approach the state with maybe a proactive approach of: not this, maybe something else,” he said. “And I think there is value in the more of us, the more they hear that from more angles, the more likely we are to succeed.”
The two councils discussed inviting other local governments, like Morgan County, to sign on as well.
The small Wasatch County town of Wallsburg is also opposing the preliminary municipality program. One of the applications submitted to the lieutenant governor, which was not accepted for 2026, proposed hundreds of homes near Wallsburg.
Summit County is a financial supporter of KPCW.
