MX Missile Policy Board

The MX Missile Policy Board began as a voluntary cooperative organization between counties that faced the greatest impact from the proposed MX Missile System. The MX weapon system (proposed by the U.S. Air Force) would have spanned a 7,000 mile area of the Great Basin between Utah and Nevada. The Utah counties of Juab, Millard, Beaver, and Iron formed the Utah MX Missile Policy Board for the purpose of meeting at regular intervals to discuss area-wide problems relating to the development of the M-X Missile System. The Board was also tasked with employing personnel and contracts with various companies, individuals, and agencies for the purpose of studying projected impacts of the Missile System development. A final directive of the Board was to assist and aid governmental entities and the citizens of each county in planning for the proposed Missile System development. The MX Missile Impact Policy Board served as the parent organization for all studies and programs that emerged under its auspices.

The office worked closely with local governmental entities as well as the larger Utah MX Coordination Office, the MX Missile Task Force, and the Four Corners Regional Commission. The bylaws stipulated that the policy board be composed of three members from each participating county (with at least one member serving from each local county school board). Policy board members were chosen by County Commissioners. Each member held a vote on the board and any resolution or decision made by the board needed a majority vote of seven to pass. In addition an Executive Committee within the Policy Board was designated and granted legislative and auditing power for the organization.??The bylaws for the MX Missile Policy Board also stipulated that the group designate a Chairman and Vice Chairman. The role of the Chairman was to act as chief executive officer for the group with general supervision authority over Board actions. The Vice Chairman was to serve as de facto Chair if the Chairman was unavailable (with other duties as assigned). Meetings of the Board were determined and set by the Board itself, the Chairman, or a motion of at least seven voting members.??The MX Missile Policy Board also granted itself the ability and discretion to hire support staff to help plan and administer the various studies, projects, and programs in which organization was involved. Organizational authority was given to a staff director (hired by the board), who was also tasked with setting meeting agendas. The staff director was similarly authorized to set budget for submission to Policy Board with the Board making final decision on funding all projects, programs, studies.

The Board ceased operations on December 31, 1981, when the federal government decided against deploying the MX in Utah and Nevada.