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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Some of Utah's mayors could be looking at a new title.
Some state lawmakers say the title is ceremonial and misleading in communities where the mayor doesn't really have executive power.
Members of the state's Local Issues Task Force are touting a dumping of the title. State Senator Howard Stephenson says he has attended city and town meetings recently and asked residents who they believe is the chief executive of their city. He says most have responded "the mayor," which is not correct.
Only six Utah cities use the a mayor/council government which gives the mayor the authority as chief executive and administrative officer. The rest of the state uses a variation of the city council.
In most cases, the mayor is chairman and a nonvoting member of the council.
A task force stopped short of including the title issue in a draft bill approved by the panel. But several members said they would like to discuss it as separate proposed legislation.
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Information from: Deseret Morning News
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
