SALT LAKE CITY — On the final day nominations would be due, Salt Lake County leaders Tuesday added two more names to the list of recommendations to Gov. Gary Herbert for the county's seat on Utah Transit Authority's new three-member board.

The last-minute names come as state and local officials gear up to give a fresh start to the scandal-riddled UTA — and after the two names Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams had originally put forth stirred up controversy but were nonetheless approved by the County Council.

McAdams and a nominating committee earlier this month nominated two familiar faces: Draper Mayor Troy Walker, who has served on UTA's board of trustees since 2012, and Laynee Jones, the former program director of the now-dissolved Mountain Accord, a stakeholder group that has now transformed into the Central Wasatch Commission to guide long-term decision-making in the central Wasatch Mountains.

While the nominations drew praise, they also raised concern from some members of the County Council and critics of the Mountain Accord, questioning whether Walker or Jones would help give UTA the fresh start it needed because they had both had been associated with organizations that have had a past of transparency concerns.

But when McAdams suggested adding Carlton Christensen — who is currently the county's director of regional transportation, housing and economic development — the mayor didn't specifically attribute those concerns as the reason why he hoped to include Christensen as a candidate.

McAdams told the council that the governor's office requested the county "send forward additional names just to give them some flexibility" while they weigh nominations.

McAdams also noted County Councilman Max Burdick had told him he'd be "interested in having his name put forward," so the mayor suggested including Burdick in the suggestions to Herbert.

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'Fresh start'? Salt Lake County's nominees for new UTA board draw concern, criticism

As state and local officials attempt to give a fresh start for the scandal-riddled Utah Transit Authority, Salt Lake County officials have approved two nominations for the county's seat on UTA's new three-member governing board.

After some but little discussion, the County Council approved the mayor's suggestion, with Burdick abstaining from the vote.

In an interview after the vote, McAdams said he wanted to give the governor "more flexibility," but also noted he had discussed the county's nominations with Herbert, who raised "some reservations" about Walker's role as a "sitting mayor" also serving on the new UTA commission.

"The governor expressed some reservations with Troy's role as a mayor on the board — and that's both a positive and a negative," McAdams said. "So I think the governor just wanted to not have his hands tied going into the decision and have various options he could weigh."

The county's nominations come after the Utah Legislature passed SB136, a transportation bill that included a restructuring of UTA's governance, requiring that its current 16-member board of trustees be replaced with a full-time, three-member board by Nov. 1.

The restructuring is part of an effort to give UTA a fresh start, after a past of questionable land deals, extravagant executive pay and questions of transparency.

Salt Lake County is one of several counties who will get appointees on the new board.

Davis and Weber counties and Utah and Tooele counties also had submitted their nominees by Tuesday.

Davis and Weber counties nominated Davis County Commissioner Bret Millburn — who is also a current UTA board member — and Bountiful Councilwoman Beth Holbrook, who is also Utah League of Cities and Towns' board president.

Utah and Tooele counties nominated Robert Crawley, owner of a retail consulting company in Highland, and Benjamin D. Stanley, an attorney based in Lehi.

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