A new form of government, a heated mayoral race and the controversial county jail issue have combined to boost interest among voters in this year's city elections.
Although most candidates have been quite visible throughout the campaign with posters and personal handshakes, few, if any, issues have dominated the five campaigns.Voters will decide four council races and a mayoral contest. Two veteran candidates seeking re-election are hoping voters will look at their records and past experience and want to keep them there. Those seeking to dethrone the incumbents have campaigned with the theme that it's time for a change.
The other three council races involve mostly political newcomers. Winners will fill the two additional seats that will be placed around the rostrum in January when the new form of government becomes official.
In August, residents voted to replace the current council-manager form of government with a council-mayor form and also decided they want seven council members to represent them instead of five. Three members will serve as at-large representatives while four will be elected from newly formed districts.
Mayor
The mayoral race has attracted the most attention, and the candidates, at times, have appeared somewhat bitter toward each other. Incumbent Jim Davis, 2305 S. 300 East, is facing Councilman Randy Fitts, 385 E. Burton Ave.
Davis has served as the mayor and city administrator for the past 12 years and said he represents solid leadership, progressive management, lower taxes and leadership experience as mayor.
"We need stable, responsible government that answers questions and stays with the issues and does not flip-flop," he said, referring to his opponent's initial vote to approve construction of a county jail at the city's Oxbow site and subsequent reversal.
"We've got the jail because Mr. Fitts and Mrs. (Joyce) Nelson voted to change and didn't have substantial reason for doing so," he said. "It was the flip-flop that (3rd District Judge Michael Murphy) responded to," when he ordered the city to allow the jail to be built.
"I've listened to the people and supported what they've been saying," he said.
But Fitts, who has served as councilman for the past 12 years, said he has met many people during the campaign who say the city government has not been listening to them.
"I don't think we have near enough citizen input," he said. If elected, he wants to see more neighborhood councils organized and hold city meetings in people's homes.
Fitts said he believes the South Salt Lake government has no direction. "I'm a planning person. I like to know where we're going. Jim likes to take one project, finish it and start another," he said.
"Do we want to save the neighborhoods? Upgrade the roads? What do we want to do as citizens?" Fitts said. "I think we need a direction. We need to know where we're going."
Davis said he is proud of his accomplishments during his three terms as mayor and is the candidate with the experience and ability to effectively run public corporations such as South Salt Lake.
Fitts believes Davis has "political motivations to move up the ladder" and has campaigned that with the new form of government it's time for the city to elect a new mayor as well. But Davis counters that a business wouldn't fire a successful manager just because he's been on the job for 12 years.