Unswayed by angry protests from Mayor-elect Dan Snarr and about two dozen supporters, the City Council voted 4-0 Tuesday afternoon to approve a new ordinance requiring certain Murray appointed officials to live within city boundaries.
The ordinance will cover the city's police chief, fire chief, public works director, executive director for the City Council and the mayor's administrative assistant.But Snarr and several other Murray residents assailed the ordinance as a vindictive post-election attempt to hamper the new mayor's efforts to hire the person he wants as his assistant.
They also criticized the council for ramming the residency law through before new council members take office and for taking the vote in a 2 p.m. time slot when it was difficult for people to attend.
Despite the hour, about 40 people - mostly Snarr supporters critical of the ordinance and news media - packed into the council chambers for an hourlong debate that was tense and heated at times.
Snarr said after the meeting he is sending a letter to outgoing Mayor Lynn Pett asking him to veto the ordinance. State law permits a mayoral veto for up to 15 days after an ordinance passes.
Pett was out of town and unable to attend the Tuesday afternoon meeting. But if Pett decides not to act on the ordinance by Monday, Snarr said he will personally veto the new law when he takes office.
And if that doesn't work, Councilman-elect John Rush said Tuesday that he will move to rescind the ordinance at the Jan. 13 council session and suggest the residency issue be studied more carefully.
A move to rescind would likely draw the support of Councilman-elect John Ward, who was also out of town but has questioned the timing and fairness of the ordinance.
Another concern is that the residency issue is creating a chasm between City Council members as well as the city's administration before the mayor and two new council members even take office.
"We're starting off on the wrong foot," Snarr lamented after the special council meeting.
The new mayor said he's sure that D'Arcy Pignanelli, the wife of former Utah lawmaker and Democratic party stalwart Frank Pignanelli, will become his chief of staff despite the council action.
However, if the ordinance remains intact, she will have up to one year to either move to Murray or resign her post.
During the debate, Snarr called the law a slap in the face of the voters who put him in office and accused current council members of trying to shackle him because he defeated Councilman Leon Robertson in the mayoral race.
"You literally have rejected my hand of friendship and refused to accept the will of the Murray voters," Snarr added. "Shame on you for holding this personal grudge."
Council members strongly denied there is any kind of vendetta against Snarr, arguing the mayor's administrative assistant needs to be someone who has a vested interest in the future of the community.
"The only thing I'm sorry about is that you're taking this personally," Councilman Gary Ferrero told Snarr.
Ferrero, who said he had placed the law on the council agenda, said he was responding to concerns from constituents and his own conviction that high-profile appointees should live in the city.
"I suppose we could wait" and pass the law later, he said, but that would leave the council open to accusations "we're attempting to take her job away from her. It's better to consider it now."
Robertson, stung by implications he was using his position to conduct a personal vendetta, said that any suggestion the ordinance is some kind of retaliation against Snarr "is blatantly false."
Council Chairman Lynn Turner, who will leave office next week, said he was not opposed to tabling the ordinance but reminded residents that the administrative assistant would serve as mayor when the city's top elected leader is out of town.
"Do you want someone who lives outside the area and has no vested interest in Murray to become mayor when Mr. Snarr is out of town?" he asked.