The name will be Taylorsville. Not Redwood City, Village Woods, Centennial City, East Kearns, West Murray, Princeville or any in the myriad and bizarre suggestions to juxtapose or abbreviate Taylorsville-Bennion.
Officials in the state's newest city decided Wednesday to stick to their roots - and to follow residents' requests - and shorten its name to Taylorsville."You just witnessed history in the making," Mayor LaVelle Prince told about 30 people gathered at City Council chambers in Taylor's Landing after the vote.
It was the city's first meeting in its new home at 2520 W. 4700 South, and the chambers smelled of fresh paint and new carpet. But the new "City of Taylorsville-Bennion" sign that hangs on the building, along with all the logos, letterhead and documents, will need to be changed.
Prince said he believed the name change "will promote harmony, identity and consistency among citizens."
The unanimous vote followed a presentation by Taylorsville High School students on results of a survey in which 62 percent of 2,679 residents polled said they wanted the name changed. Two data-processing classes tallied the results.
Of those who responded, 53 percent said the city of 55,000, tucked among West Valley City, Murray and West Jordan, should be called Taylorsville. Others split first-choice votes between Centennial, which drew 24 percent, and Bennion, with 23 percent.
Council members seemed glad to put the contentious identity issue to bed. "In the interest of getting on with business, we've got to put this behind us and proceed," Councilman Keith Sorensen said.
Three council members said they'd received a number of phone calls with name suggestions between the time Prince posted the agenda Tuesday and the meeting a day later. "We've got a fast-tracking grapevine in this city, I can tell you that," Councilwoman Janice Auger said.
Taylorsville, a bit northeast of Bennion, is named after John Taylor, the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Councilman Kent Winder noted that Bennion had been called South Taylorsville for the first 50 years after brothers John and Samuel Bennion settled the area in the late 1840s.
It would be nice to name a major street, maybe 6200 South, Bennion Boulevard, Winder said. "It's important to keep the Bennion name alive as part of the community."
Councilman Bruce Wasden said he's glad to have the decision out of the way so the council can get on with negotiating contracts, hiring staff and other business.
The city becomes official July 1.