Building a Stronger City Through Openness and Collaboration

The statements in this article are the author's views and not necessarily of the entire city council.

As I’ve started serving as your mayor, I’ve heard, “What will your priorities be?” With five years experience as a state representative, I’ve learned enough about government to know that until I thoroughly understand our city, I don’t have that answer. I bring my values of transparency, fairness, an open mind, and a desire to connect with and learn from all of you.

Having worked with our council and staff for two months now, I see our budget as the highest priority. It should reflect the priorities of our council. However, our budget is in a tight survival mode. Due to two long-term leases, we won’t realize projected income from the Town Centre for several years. With sales tax and property tax flat, and no substantial fee increases since 2007, our income doesn’t cover basic costs. 2018 was the only year our city raised property taxes, and that approximate 14% increase only raised income to cover expenses, so for the past 7 years, our city has been using reserve funds to cover costs of operations.

Operating and maintenance costs have not been adequately budgeted over the years, so necessities such as a new City Hall boiler have been paid for from reserves. Our staff had a 25% turnover in 2025, and part of that was due to a sense that the city leadership was not investing properly for the future of the city. Since the 2018 tax increase, we’ve all experienced 29% inflation. Unless we want to drastically cut city services, we face the need to raise revenues, and property taxes are the main lever our council controls. For the average home in our city, if property taxes were set on a monthly basis, the cost would be about $67—an amazingly low cost for fire and police service, street, sidewalk, and all other city services

A few weeks ago, we invited citizens to apply and serve on a Citizen Budget Committee. We have a great committee now helping us review the budget and look for efficiencies. This is another example of the tremendous support we receive from residents. Watch our council meetings in April as we continue this work on the budget.

Another top priority this year is the Old Mill. The owners presented a Conditional Use Permit for demolition to our planning commission on January 21st. Our city has one year to determine if they meet the required criteria in our code, and we are looking to our residents to help determine if this historic structure can and should be preserved. I was impressed by the number of people who spoke in the business meeting and offered services, donations, and leadership to find a way to preserve the Old Mill. Our city is taking proactive steps of hiring an engineer to provide a review of the structure and setting up meetings with the owners, Preservation Utah, and others. My goal is to explore any possible adaptive use for this structure that is symbolic of our history and iconic in memory for so many.

I don’t have all the answers for the challenges our city faces, and I know we are always better off together. Please fill out the request on the Mayor’s Office page of our website, or call 801-944-7015 to schedule a Thursday afternoon appointment with me, and join me March 26th at 7 pm for our City Book Group at City Hall as we discuss Crucial Conversations, 3rd Edition by Joseph Grenny.