Rural From front page people outside of our communities determining where our communities are going." Many people feel strongly about townships and voter registration has increased in many areas where townships, are proposed, Deyonne Walker, chairwoman of the Weber Area Council of Townships said. "We need to give residents a say in what happens in the present and the future." Walker said. Three citizens of each township will be elected to sit on the planning and zoning boards tomorrow. Morris said. The county commissioners appoint three additional members and one board member is selected by the other six. Morris, who has served as vice-chairman of the Weber Area Council of Townships, is running for a position on the Marriott Township Board. "I'm not as concerned about getting elected as I am about getting the township," Morris said. Morris grew up along the "bottoms of the Weber River" in the close-knit community of Marriott. He loves the values and pioneer heritage of Marriott and sees the formation of a township as one way to safeguard his community. "It's going to keep our identity. We will not have gone the way of annexation," Morris said. "We will not have been devoured by the grueling monsters that hunger for our tax base." "We just really think these townships will help to preserve the county's tax base," Duncan Murray, a local attorney said. Murray helped several communities file the township petition and sees the township as something that "should benefit everyone." Walker, who is running for a position on the East Huntsville board, feels the "township will be passed." "We have excellent support from the people who live here," she said. The Signpost, November 4, 1996 TOWNSHIP ELECTIONS: Six rural areas in Weber get new control over future By GREG KRATZ_ Standard-Examiner staff Bill Morris was there this summer when his home of Marriott became the first Weber County area to file a township petition. And Morris was there again late Tuesday when election results came in and Marriott's township status became official. "This is the most exciting ever," Morris said after spreading the news throughout Weber County Commission chambers where election totals were being flashed on a wall. "This has been a long road that we've gone down. I'm proud to announce that we've contained Ogden City from trying to annex us ever again, hopefully." Morris' excitement grew as the night wore on and the other five townships on the county ballot also passed, even though a flaw in the 1996 Utah township law said a "super majority" of all registered voters in an area had to come out in favor for a township to gain approval. Huge voter turnout was key to the victories. While Weber County's overall turnout was about 64 percent, the six township areas had anywhere from 73 percent to 94 percent of their registered voters at the polls. When projecting the number of votes in the areas against the total number of registered voters, the final tallies in favor were 60 percent for East Huntsville, 64 percent for Hooper, 82 percent for Marriott, 62 percent for Slaterville, 68 percent for Warren and 79 percent for West Warren/Reese. Actually, the latter is just Reese now, as its voters also came out 59 percent in favor of taking that name. Township proponents said they hope their new status will let them avoid annexation, even as the new planning and zoning boards they get will allow them to guide their own futures. "People for a long time have wanted to make sure they could have control over their own destinies," said Duncan Murray, who helped organize several township petitions. Nan Peacock of Hooper said she had worried about the race there and was happy it came out as it did. "I think it's going to be good for both Hooper and the county," she said. "I don't think we're going to want to rule the roost, but we'll get our say." Township boards Elected township board members: East Huntsville - Norman Montgomery, Lorna Rich, Deyonne Walker. Hooper -Theo Cox, Max Simpson, Bette Wilson. Marriott-Gerald Bischoff, Delbert Hodson, Bill Morris. Reese-Jimmie Barrow, Eldon Davis, Barbara Higgs. Slaterville - Keith Butler, Orvil Holley, Kim Slater. Warren - Ryan Judkins, Duncan Murray, Glynn Wayment. November 6, 1996 58