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Show Hinckley Journal of Politics Autumn 1998 Bureaucratic Accountability: A Look at Utah's Redevelopment Agencies by Adam Caldwell Utah's Redevelopment Agencies, and the guidelines which govern them, have become the subject of public scrutiny as the number of and power of agencies have increased. In this article, the author analyzes and explains the level of accountability of Utah's RDAs by using John P. Burkes theories on policy implementation and exercise of discretion. Specifically, Burke's Typological approach is used; the level of accountability within a bureaucratic agency is compared to the external sources and internal norms of the agency. Once the character of Utah's RDAs is established, the author discusses other factors related to accountability: government audits, legal rulings, the press and public sentiment. The article concludes with suggestions for change based on the Burke's theories, Utah's political climate, and tax and revenue ramifications. Introduction There is a fine line that Utah's redevelopment agencies must walk. The people of Utah want the benefits that the state's redevelopment agencies provide, yet they are very suspicious of the powers which have been granted to the redevelopment agencies and the muscle which the agencies might flex to complete a controversial project. It is nothing new to see a bill at the state legislature that attempts to limit the powers of redevelopment agencies. Some bills will propose modest changes in the way the process of putting together a redevelopment project is undergone. Other bills have gone so far as to propose the complete elimination of redevelopment agencies. Such proposed measures raise the question of accountability. Are redevelopment agencies accountable? Also, to whom are they supposed to be accountable ? In our representative democracy, we elect those who will delegate responsibilities to bureaucracies. Elected officials have the responsibility of passing legislation and policies as to how the bureaucracies are to conduct themselves, along with both general and specific goals for the state's governmental agencies. As with any agency, the question of accountability arises. Is the agency accountable to that governmental entity which has defined the rules within which it is to play? Such questions arise because of bureaucratic discretion. It is obvious that the state legislature cannot micro-manage every decision made by bureaucrats. Bureaucrats often must use their own Adam Caldwell earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Utah. He is currently attending Brigham Young University Law School. judgment to determine whether an action falls within the prescribed goals and laws for that agency. While many discretionary decisions appear black and white, there are plenty of gray areas. It is in these gray areas that one might question the accountability of a particular agency. This project first addresses the issue of bureaucratic accountability. This description of accountability is then used as a framework within which to examine Utah's redevelopment agencies and to determine the extent to which accountability does or does not exist. If accountability is deficient, is this necessarily good or bad? Finally, if negative consequences result from a lack of accountability, what if anything can be done to remedy such a problem? Importance of Redevelopment Agencies Redevelopment agencies are a tool used by city and county governments to clean up blight (undesirable living conditions). They are used also to implement the general development goals of the community. Redevelopment agencies will acquire property, using eminent domain (the power of the government to seize property rights) if necessary, to redevelop a particular area. Redevelopment agencies will engage in projects of three different sorts. The first and primary type of redevelopment assists private and public investment in areas that were previously blighted. The second type is "economic development," in which an agency will work with businesses to increase the number of available jobs in a community. Finally, redevelopment agencies will engage in "housing development" to increase the amount of affordable housing in a community. Such concern for community development began in the latter part of the nineteenth century, when Congress became 27 |