A bill almost as contentious as the problem it addresses has passed through the Senate.

Senate Bill 20 defines how cities can change their form of government, an issue that has resulted in mayors going to court against their city councils, as well as voter referendums to switch the form of government back after being changed by the council.

The initial bill took away a council's ability to simply change the form of government from a mayor form to a manager form. But it also allowed councils to take powers from the mayor, which opponents argued was simply a change in government using different wording.

On Friday, the bill was replaced for the third time to include language that would further protect mayoral powers from council meddling. It does so by requiring mayoral approval or a unanimous council vote before any change takes place.

"It's a high threshold on the part of the council, and they cannot willy nilly take the powers of the mayor," said Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, who has fought to maintain mayoral powers.

The most vocal critic of the bill, Lehi Mayor Howard Johnson, said Friday that its new form certainly does make it more difficult for mayors to be stripped of their powers. But he's still concerned whether the principle remains alive in any form at all.

"Given the politics as they are, probably I was being over hopeful," he said.

Several senators agreed with him, arguing against a council being able to take powers from a mayor and give them to an unelected bureaucrat, such as a city manager.

"Power becomes very concentrated in those staff members, and they don't always have the same motive and accountability as those people on the council," said Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Eagle Mountain.

The bill passed the Senate 21-3 and now faces debate in the House.

Johnson said he's not done getting the bill in a form he finds palatable and will take his fight to the House.

Bill sponsor Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Salt Lake City, said that after 18 months of work, "I believe it is slightly tipped in the mayors' favor."

Senate Bill 20, Municipal Government Amendments

Sponsor: Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Salt Lake City

This bill rewrites and reorganizes provisions relating to forms of municipal government and municipal administration.