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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah lawmaker is considering a bill that could ultimately break up Utah’s most populous county.
Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, told FOX 13 News he is looking at introducing a bill allowing citizens to petition for a ballot measure exploring whether a county with more than one million people should split into two smaller counties.
Right now, Salt Lake County is the only county over one million people, but it could eventually apply to Utah County and others as the state’s population booms.
“If a county gets to a certain size, does it make sense to have a mechanism in place where citizens could go and say, ‘You know, I think this county’s too big, it’s not becoming accountable. Maybe we should split that county?'” he said.
Legislation to split Salt Lake County has been attempted before, but has failed to advance in the Utah State Legislature. Rep. Teuscher, who represents a politically conservative area of the Salt Lake Valley, said it is not in response to consternation with more liberal communities. He pointed to the Republican-controlled Salt Lake County Council and a competitive county mayor’s race.
Instead, he pointed to a multi-billion dollar county budget and a level of government that some find confusing.
“When a county gets so large, I think it’s important to ask the question: Does that make sense, or should we have smaller counties that are closer and more accountable to the people?” he said.
A spokesperson for Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said she declined to comment on the proposal until she had seen a bill introduced in the Utah legislature.
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