July 4, 1996 Marriott township on ballot Weber commission sets date; other areas may have to wait under new county ordinance By GREG KRATZ_ Standard-Examiner staff Marriott residents may make history this November. On general election day, Nov. 5, they will decide whether they want to become Weber County's first township. For residents who pushed the township petition, the new status would mean protecting their community from annexation and giving it an official identity during a Centennial year, no less. But other communities that want township status may have to wait a little longer. After setting Marriott's election date, county commissioners Wednesday approved an ordinance that will govern future township elections. A law passed by the 1996 state Legislature lets unincorporated areas vote to form townships. Approved townships keep their boundaries and county services, but they get their own, seven-member planning and zoning boards. Three of those board members are elected by township residents, three are appointed by the County Commission and the last one is appointed by the other six. David Wilson, deputy county attorney, said the new ordinance sets a 30-day waiting period after a township peti-tion is filed before the County Commission can set an election date. Commissioners can then set the vote for the next state-approved election date that follows another 45-day waiting period. The waiting periods may prove useful if petitions are filed for townships with overlapping territory, Wilson said. In such a case, the ordinance says that the proposal with the largest population will go to a vote first. Since Marriott filed its petition in mid-June, before the ordinance was passed, it will not have to abide by the waiting periods. In fact, commissioners could have set an August election date. But residents behind the petition drive said they wanted the vote in conjunction with November's presidential election because they may need a high voter turnout. Due to a flaw in the township law, more than 50 percent of all of Marriott's registered voters - not just a majority of those who show up at the polls - will have to vote in favor of the township for it to be approved. Duncan Murray, a local lawyer who is helping several communities file township petitions, said Marriott residents understand the risk of going to the polls before the law can be changed. "But the people feel we'll have 95 percent of the people voting in favor," he said. Commissioners congratulated the Marriott organizers for setting up a petition process that other communities can follow. "We'll be interested to see how this comes out," commission Chairman Bruce Anderson said. July 19, 1996 Slaterville township will be on Nov. 5 ballot Weber County may have not one, but two, new townships after the Nov. 5 general election. County commissioners officially set that date for Slaterville residents to go to the polls and decide whether they want their community to become a township. Marriott residents will also vote on township status that day. A law passed by the 1996 Legislature allows areas to form townships, which keep county services but can avoid annexation and make their own planning and zoning decisions. Commissioner Bruce Anderson said Slaterville's township petition had 202 valid signatures, when it only needed 92. Keith Butler, one of the men who pushed Slaterville's township drive, said his community's residents hope township status will help them preserve their rural heritage. "The citizens of Slaterville are very excited about this," he said. - Standard-Examiner staff and wire services 53