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West Jordan’s Vote To Change Its Government Will Cut New Mayor’s Term Short

West Jordan City

Earlier this month West Jordan voters narrowly approved changing the city’s governmental structure. The city and its elected officials are in for a shakeup when it takes effect in 2020.

West Jordan currently has a council-manager form of government, which means that the city’s chief executive is actually an appointed city manager, rather than the mayor.

But now West Jordan will change that to what’s known as a strong mayor form of government, where the mayor is separate from the council, has veto power and can make staffing decisions.

West Jordan will implement its new form of government in 2020. Before that, the city council will have to go through the entire city code to make the changes, according to interim city attorney Duncan Murray.

“It’ll be a gradual process and it will probably take at least one of the two next years to work our way through that code,” said Murray, “and to make sure that when the new form of government goes into effect, that everything is compliant with state law.”

The 2020 start date also means that West Jordan’s new mayor, Jim Riding, will have his term cut short. He’ll have to run for reelection in 2019.

Final vote tallies from this month’s general election shows that the proposition passed by only 63 votes.  The final canvass showed 6,841 West Jordan residents voted for the change, while 6,778 voted against it. 

Nicole Nixon holds a Communication degree from the University of Utah. She has worked on and off in the KUER Newsroom since 2013, when she first joined KUER as an intern. Nicole is a Utah native. Besides public radio, she is also passionate about beautiful landscapes and breakfast burritos.
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