When it comes to giving taxpayers the best deal for their money, efficiency must take precedence over history. In other words, the people who live in the 100 or so unincorporated islands within the city of Sandy may have had good reason for resisting the wave of annexations years ago, but Salt Lake County simply can't go on providing them with services inexpensively.
County commissioners have asked Sandy city leaders if they would like to take over the task of plowing streets and picking up garbage, among other things, in those areas. As Commissioner Mary Callaghan explained it, "It's ridiculous for a county snowplow to have to pick up (its) blade, drive through the city, put it down for a block or two, then pick it up again."Not only is it ridiculous, it's expensive. But whenever someone talks about Sandy helping the unincorporated islands, the residents of those areas show their fangs. They don't want to be part of Sandy, and they worry that a service contract would be the first step toward annexation. State law allows a city that provides services to an area for more than a year to annex that area unless 51 percent of the residents actively oppose it.
Sandy hasn't decided yet whether it wants the business, but it denies it has designs on annexing the areas, and for good reason. None of the areas contains a commercial tax base that would provide revenue.
Really, the issue involves little more than economies of scale.
Residents of these islands say they want a chance to decide whether to contract with Sandy. A better solution would be let all residents of unincorporated areas decide whether these few should continue to receive costly services -- services for which all unincorporated residents pay. Folks who want control over their own neighborhood decisions typically do one of two things. They incorporate as a city, or they join one.
As long as they remain unincorporated, the island residents won't have a say. Even when the county shifts to a council-executive form in 2001, their county council member will represent the interests of surrounding cities, as well.
Chalk this up as another argument for wall-to-wall cities. When unincorporated areas dot the valley like splatters from a paintbrush, county services naturally become more expensive. The best solution would be to have municipal services consolidated countywide, but that goal remains elusive. To her credit, Callaghan has been working to reduce costs where she can. Giving Sandy the option of servicing areas in its midst is a prudent idea.