County Governance Revisions

SB 266 modifies Utah counties using a council-manager government structure by shifting executive authority from the county manager to the elected county council. It prohibits the council from delegating executive or elected officer duties to the manager, limits manager employment contracts to four years (banning automatic renewals or special severance), and bars unelected staff from performing elected officials' roles. The bill also requires council members to represent single districts (not at-large) and ensures the council, not the manager, holds final decision-making power on county operations. These changes directly affect counties operating under the council-manager system, altering how local government is structured and managed.