The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors no longer wants to get between owners of blighted properties and their neighbors.

The board took an unusual step Wednesday when it voted to delegate responsibility for judging code-violation appeals to a panel of appointees. Supervisors have fought political and legal battles for months to protect their authority over other county agencies, but on Wednesday they cast a rare split vote, 3-1.

The controversy revolves around whether neighborhood disputes should be resolved administratively or thrashed out publicly by the board of supervisors.