Ann Parr and Troy Spratt acknowledge they face an uphill battle in the race for City Council against incumbents Todd A. Andersen and Wayne H. Ballard.
But Parr and Spratt want economic growth and better city services in their suburban community, and they say the first step is changing the makeup of the council.Ann Parr works part time for a Draper veterinarian and was defeated in her last City Council bid. A member of the Draper Planning Commission, Parr said growth is the main issue facing the city in the immediate future.
"I'm very committed to two particular things: One is we have carefully planned growth that looks seriously at the future. And I am committed to the process of the city planning for future recreation needs," Parr said.
Troy Spratt is a volunteer fireman for Draper and is attending the University of Utah. He said he believes there is a reluctance among some residents to further develop Draper.
"Draper has been incorporated for 10 years now, and it's time to grow. We cannot continue at the pace we are going or we as a community will become stagnant. I feel that rural and business communities can exist in the same setting," Spratt said.
Todd A. Andersen, who happens to be Parr's next-door neighbor, is seeking his third council term.
An architectural designer, Andersen said said one of issues facing Draper's immediate future is planning for a new City Hall. The city's offices and council chambers are in an old school building.
In addition, the city must continue to plan for the future by updating its land-use ordinances and master plan.
"I'd like to plan to get ourselves ready for the future growth and aesthetically make it a great place to live," Andersen said.
In Wayne H. Ballard's first term in office the city completed its master plan, adopted a city council-city manager form of government and is developing a major road plan, he said.
Ballard, employed by the Draper Irrigation Co., said planning for future growth and shoring up the community's roads are key issues.
"I think we need to replace some of our old bridges and put as much improvement as possible on our roads. We are still in the catch-up process on these projects," he said.
The two candidates who receive the most votes will each win a seat on the City Council.
Mayor Charles Hoffman's re-election bid isn't much of a race. In fact, he's unopposed.
But he's not taking the election for granted. Hoffman has posted signs about the suburban community thanking the electorate for its vote of confidence.
"We just have a good place out here. We have good people and it goes well," he said.
Hoffman offered no explanation why no other candidates ran against him except that he works hard at being mayor. "I've laid in a coffin several hours," he said, explaining that taking part in the community's annual Spook Alley is one of his more pleasurable responsibilities as mayor.