(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...If you are a fellow resident of Grantsville, then it’s likely that you have encountered one or more people in the past few weeks with a request to sign their referendum concerning Six Mile Ranch. This referendum, if successful, would put the annexation of the property on hold to be placed on the ballot during the next election cycle. But is this necessary?
What is this all about? This is not the first time Six Mile Ranch has been potentially annexed. Soon after Erda attempted to annex the property as part of its incorporation process, litigation ensued and the ranch owners made it very clear that they did NOT want to be a part of Erda. After the courts ruled in favor of the ranch, the owners applied to be annexed into Grantsville city limits, which was approved by the Grantsville City Council on Nov 17, 2022.
If I sign the referendum, will it really prevent growth? No, the referendum has nothing to do with growth. If Grantsville residents really want to restrict the development of the area, then we should allow it to become a part of Grantsville first. At that point, we would actually have a say in what happens and work with our locally elected officials to decide how or if it gets developed.
Are there any drawbacks if the ranch becomes a part of Grantsville? Not that I can think of. Expanding our city boundaries actually benefits us by increasing the potential future tax base. If the property does not join Grantsville, then it will remain a part of unincorporated Tooele County unless Erda tries to annex it again and claim any future tax base from that area.
Why does Erda want Six Mile Ranch so much? Nobody knows for sure, considering the ranch is on the Grantsville side of the valley and has historically been a part of Grantsville. Most of the property (approx 9,000 acres) is undevelopable wetland and Erda likely included it in their incorporation plans just to meet the acreage limits required by the Lt. Governor’s office for incorporation.
If I want Six Mile Ranch to join Grantsville, then should I sign the referendum? No. The paperwork has already been submitted by the ranch, which makes sending it to the ballot unnecessary. Do not sign the referendum and the ranch will become a part of Grantsville by default. The property owners have chosen to be a part of Grantsville instead of Erda and we should welcome this decision with open arms..
Why has a company been hired from outside of our county to gather signatures? While there is nothing inherently wrong with getting outside help, it does show the lack of local support.
Should we really put a simple property annexation on the ballot? No. Property annexations rarely, if ever, go to ballot because they are actually good for a city. If you ask me, this is just a waste of time and resources that should be redirected to something that really matters.
What if I signed the referendum and now changed my mind? You can submit a request to the Tooele County Clerk’s Office to have your name removed. This must be done before the 45 day deadline from when your signature was posted. You can reach the clerk’s office at 435-843-3140 or visit the website at: tooeleco.org/elections/ontheballot/petitions/gvcity2022-28/
