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SALT LAKE CITY — A battle is brewing between Salt Lake City and the Utah Legislature on a variety of fronts from billboards to golf courses.
State lawmakers are proposing or contemplating a variety of bills aimed at ordinances that city officials say they have carefully crafted to meet the needs of residents.
The issues raise the ever-present local government question to the state: If you don't like the feds sticking their nose into your business, why do you meddle in ours?
"We certainly think it's a fitting analogy and one we would like state legislators to be more aware of," said Salt Lake City spokesman Art Raymond.
Legislative leaders and Gov. Gary Herbert all have the same answer to that question: Cities and counties are political subdivisions of the state. So unlike the states to the federal government, municipalities are, according to Herbert, "subservient" to the state.
"It's a great question to pose to residents of Salt Lake City," Raymond said. "Do they prefer to be subservient to state legislators who don't even live in their city or have their interests represented by the (mayor and city council) they elected?"
One bill aims to keep Salt Lake City from passing an ordinance that would limit electronic billboards to freeways and likely reduce the number of the large roadside signs in the city. Another extends a moratorium on creating a historic district in the city's Yalecrest neighborhood.
Senate Majority Whip Wayne Niederhauser is sponsoring both measures. The Republican senator lives in Sandy.
Lawmakers also are looking at proposals regarding the city's new taxi system, good landlord program and idle-free ordinance as well as providing a sales-tax exemption for private golf courses. Those potential bills' sponsors live outside of Salt Lake City.
"It's hard to understand what the prevalence is right now of the state intervening in local issues," Raymond said. "It's concerning to us."
House Speaker Becky Lockhart, R-Provo, said the Legislature generally tries to stay out of cities' business. But, she said, there are times, such as when property rights are at issue, when the Legislature should step in.
Lockhart and Niederhauser see billboards and historic districts as property rights issues.
When a political subdivision of the state tries to circumvent fundamental rights, the Legislature should get involved, Niederhauser said.
Billboard advertising is a viable business subject to reasonable regulations, he said. "But to systematically do away with signage, I think that's wrong. I think that it's the right of a legitimate business to advertise."
A Senate committee was scheduled to consider the billboard legislation Wednesday, but Niederhauser pulled it from the agenda. He said he has a meeting with stakeholders Friday to work something out.
City officials have been working on an ordinance for more than a year to establish regulations for the conversion of existing billboards to electronic signs. In April, the Salt Lake City Council unanimously supported a moratorium that has kept any new electronic billboards from going up.
In its current form, the legislation would prohibit all Utah municipalities and counties from enacting or enforcing restrictions on billboard owners other than by eminent domain. The bill also states that a municipality may not use eminent domain to prevent a billboard from being upgraded to an electronic sign.
Herbert was asked about the billboard proposal at his monthly KUED news conference last week. He said he has concerns about the state micromanaging cities and counties.
"I don’t like it when the federal government does it to the states. And as a local government person, I didn't like it when the state did it to the locals," said Herbert who served many years as a Utah County commissioner.
"I don't like the Legislature being a super board of regents, or a super school board or super local government control."
But, he said, the "subtle" difference is that cities are political subdivisions of the state.
Still, the governor said legislators would be wise to listen to cities and counties to avoid unintended consequences of the bills they pass.
Email:dromboy@ksl.com
