back as 1965, residents selected representatives to meet with county commissioners and planners as non-binding advisors. Though having no voting power, these committees developed good ongoing relationships with the various commissioners and planning boards as they reflected the feelings of the entire community, not an individual interest group. As a result, the county officials have listened, agreed, and helped us on many occasions. With this foundation, they have recently been supportive of our township and incorporation efforts. Beginning in November of 1996, Marriott and Slaterville became townships1 after a near unanimous vote. Both communities filed separate petitions for township status earlier that summer, Marriott being the first community in Weber County to pursue this status under a new state law. Six communities in Weber County formed townships in 1996. But in 1997 the State Legislature, in a fit of determined aggression led by Melvin R. Brown2, the Speaker of the House, and based upon erroneous pretenses and sordid collusion, stripped the township law of significant authorities, most notably border protection. I acknowledge the tremendous efforts of all involved who worked diligently to prevent the loss of the townships and their community heritage. I cannot begin to properly emphasize the high level of work that was rendered in our township effort, but may I say that it was with honorable determination in hopes of preserving our community legacy. We fought Mel Brown's 1 Townships are political subdivisions of county government with certain planning, border, and land use powers. 2 Mel Brown in 1998 informed us that the Utah Board of Realtors was lobbying behind the scenes to eliminate townships altogether during that session. 2