Taylorsville, Utah - Governance

Governance

Taylorsville is governed by a five member City Council, Mayor and Presiding Judge representing the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches of government. City Council members and the Mayor are elected to staggered four year terms of office. The election of City Council members and the Mayor are non-partisan, contested elections. The Presiding Judge and other judges serve six year terms of office. Every six years, the judges must stand for retention in an unopposed, non-partisan election. The retention election of the judges is county-wide and are the only municipal elected positions to permit voters from outside of the city boundaries to vote for or against a city official.

The City has been divided into five districts each with its own City Council member. There are no "At-Large" seats. The Mayor is the only elected position that runs city-wide. The City Council elects from its members a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson who are responsible for the organization and operation of the City Council.

In addition to its Mayor, the Executive branch is managed by a full-time City Administrator. The City Administrator is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. While the City contracts for many of its services (public works, garbage collection, street and road maintenance and fire safety/suppression), it has its own police, code enforcement, economic development and community development departments.

The Judicial Branch is vested in a Municipal Justice Court which is administered by a Presiding Judge. The Presiding Judge is appointed by the Mayor from amongst the judges of the court and confirmed by the City Council. The Presiding Judge, with the input of all of the judges of the court, oversees the hiring and training of all court personnel and manages the court budget. The Taylorsville Court is notable by establishing the second DUI (drunk driving) court in the nation and the first misdemeanor Drug/DUI hybrid court in Utah. In addition, the Court has a dedicated Domestic Violence calendar and a Dual Focus program for Drug/Alcohol abusers with a history of violence.