Ball's defenders sound off
But Huntsman transition aide says firing justified
On Monday, consumer advocates filled the committee's meeting room, saying Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has weakened the position of Utah consumers by removing Ball, who had served in the position for eight years.
"This committee has been targeted because you do a good job, and the powers that be don't want you here," said consumer advocate Claire Geddes, who called Ball's firing an "outrageous power play."
The six-member committee was created by the Utah Legislature in 1977 and is charged with protecting the interests of consumers and small businesses in utility rate cases.
Ball said he has not ruled out legal action over his March 9 firing.
However, one member of Huntsman's transition team — which recommended that Ball be removed — is defending the termination.
Bill Martin, who was one of 13 members of the transition team that examined positions in the Utah Department of Commerce, told the Deseret Morning News that while the committee's staff was effective and articulate, "all the problems centered around one individual — that's Roger Ball."
"Roger is very demanding and autocratic," Martin said. "He reported to no one. No one had authority over him personally. He had structured his position in such a way that he was appointed by the governor, and no one could tell him what to do."
Martin said many had likened Ball to a "pit bull."
"He assumed a larger power than he deserved to assume," Martin said. "He is a very strong-minded, dogmatic person. . . . I think that he pushed so hard on so many people and didn't report to anybody. He uses the press to get his way, which a lot of people do. I believe he probably raised our utility costs, because now we're going to have to go in and put all that stuff in that he's been starving the system to death for."
While Ball was equated to a pit bull in holding down utility rates, Leslie Reberg, a Democrat and former Salt Lake County employee who was nominated by Huntsman to replace Ball, is already being branded as a utility sympathizer for her past employment with US WEST.
The six-member committee must still confirm Reberg's appointment by a majority vote. Reberg did not attend Monday's meeting.
Geddes said Reberg was responsible for helping to pass HB338, a bill that critics charge raised phone bills.
At the time of HB338's passage in 2000, former Utah Public Service Commission Chairman Steve Mecham said the bill in effect gave a monopoly company "the ability to earn outrageous profits at the expense of their captive ratepayers."
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