H.B. 220

1

CLASSIFICATION OF COUNTIES
2 2012 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Ronda Rudd Menlove
5 Senate Sponsor: Peter C. Knudson
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill enacts language related to the classification of urban and rural counties.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 . classifies counties as urban or rural;
13 . requires the Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee
14 to:
15 . review the classification of counties; and
16 . consider whether to draft legislation on the classification of counties as urban or
17 rural; and
18 . makes technical corrections.
19 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
20 None
21 Other Special Clauses:
22 None
23 Utah Code Sections Affected:
24 AMENDS:
25 17-50-501, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2004, Chapter 269
26 17-50-502, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2000, Chapter 318
27

28 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
29 Section 1. Section 17-50-501 is amended to read:
30 17-50-501. Classification of counties -- Population classification -- Urban and
31 rural classification -- Review of classification.
32 (1) Each county shall be classified according to its population.
33 (2) (a) A county with a population of 700,000 or more is a county of the first class.
34 (b) A county with a population of 125,000 or more but less than 700,000 is a county of
35 the second class.
36 (c) A county with a population of 31,000 or more but less than 125,000 is a county of
37 the third class.
38 (d) A county with a population of 11,000 or more but less than 31,000 is a county of
39 the fourth class.
40 (e) A county with a population of 4,000 or more but less than 11,000 is a county of the
41 fifth class.
42 (f) A county with a population less than 4,000 is a county of the sixth class.
43 (3) The following are rural counties:
44 (a) Beaver County;
45 (b) Box Elder County;
46 (c) Cache County;
47 (d) Carbon County;
48 (e) Daggett County;
49 (f) Duchesne County;
50 (g) Emery County;
51 (h) Garfield County;
52 (i) Grand County;
53 (j) Iron County;
54 (k) Juab County;
55 (l) Kane County;
56 (m) Millard County;
57 (n) Morgan County;
58 (o) Piute County;

59 (p) Rich County;
60 (q) San Juan County;
61 (r) Sanpete County;
62 (s) Sevier County;
63 (t) Summit County;
64 (u) Tooele County;
65 (v) Uintah County;
66 (w) Wasatch County;
67 (x) Washington County; and
68 (y) Wayne County.
69 (4) The following are urban counties:
70 (a) Davis County;
71 (b) Salt Lake County;
72 (c) Utah County; and
73 (d) Weber County.
74 (5) The Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee shall on
75 or before November 1, 2012:
76 (a) review the classifications described in Subsections (3) and (4); and
77 (b) consider whether to draft legislation on the classification of counties as urban or
78 rural.
79 Section 2. Section 17-50-502 is amended to read:
80 17-50-502. Change of class of county.
81 (1) Each county shall retain its classification under [Section] Subsection 17-50-501 (2)
82 until changed as provided in this section.
83 (2) The lieutenant governor shall monitor the population figure for each county as
84 shown on:
85 (a) each official census or census estimate of the United States Bureau of the Census;
86 or
87 (b) if the population figure for a county is not available from the United States Bureau
88 of the Census, the population estimate from the Utah Population Estimates Committee.
89 (3) If the applicable population figure under Subsection (2) indicates that a county's

90 population has increased beyond the limit for its current class, the lieutenant governor shall:
91 (a) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the county belongs based on the
92 increased population figure; and
93 (b) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to the
94 legislative body and, if the county has an executive that is separate from the legislative body,
95 the executive of the county whose class was changed.
96 (4) A county's change in class is effective on the date of the lieutenant governor's
97 certificate under Subsection (3).




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-27-12 8:29 AM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel