Tight. That's how most of the West Jordan City Council candidates describe their races in the coming municipal election.
"Someone ought to do a poll and let us know where we stand," said one candidate.If the primary election results are any indication of public sentiment, the races will be close. Six votes separated Kathy Hilton and Allen F. Short in the two-year council race. In the seven-way mayoral race, Kenneth A. Miller received only 26 more votes than Lyle Summers, his closest competitor in the primary.
Max Hogan received nearly twice as many votes in the primary as second-place finisher Jack Gocha, but Gocha has continued to wage an aggressive campaign.
The candidates said their conversations with voters revealed West Jordan residents are concerned about the stability of the council. Paul Henderson was recently named acting mayor upon the resignation of Mayor Kristin Lambert. Unelected council members Hogan and Penny Atkinson joined the panel via appointments to fill vacancies of former council members who did not complete their terms.
Voters are concerned about property taxes, the city's utility franchise fee and the community's lack of recreational opportunities.
But voters seemed most concerned about an apparent lack of communication between the City Council and residents. Some candidates even have proposed a citizens forum during each City Council meeting.
No matter what happens, there will be at least two, possibly three, new faces on the City Council next year.
Mayor
The mayoral race pits Lyle Summers, the chief economist of the Utah Division of Water Resources, against Kenneth A. Miller, who works in research and engineering at a West Jordan explosives manufacturing company.
Miller said he believes the biggest difference between him and Summers is Miller believes the community should bolster its economic-development incentives and cut taxes.
"I think I have a stronger desire to push for economic development - not just push, but to make it really happen. I see economic development as the key to long-term tax reductions," Miller said.
Conversely, Summers said the city should study its needs carefully before cutting taxes.
"I'm going to hold the line on taxes, and he (Miller) wants to cut them right away. I prefer to hold them the way they are until we get some of the capital projects done," Summers said. Road projects top Summers' list of needed improvements, he said.
Summers said his greatest advantage over Miller is his experience working with different forms of government. "When I compare myself to Ken, I have a lot more experience in working in government and working out several types of problems," Summers said.
Miller said he can offer voters a listening ear. If elected, Miller said, he would open a portion of each council meeting to the public.
"We have to be willing to sit through and listen to people telling us what they think. That's the price you pay being in that office," he said.
City Council, 4-year term
If the candidates for a four-year term on West Jordan's City Council agree on anything, it's that there is a perceived rift in the community between the citizenry and the council.
"The race has pointed out there is some fractioning that has to be addressed in the future," Councilman Max Hogan said.
Jack Gocha, a retired turbine engineer, said that if he's elected he would set aside time during each council meeting to allow the residents to air their concerns.
"My platform is reinforced having talked to thousands of people. My platform is working at finding out what the people want. I don't think the council works at it now, but then I don't think the people work at it either. I'm not saying I have all the answers, but you can't see the answers until you know the problems," said Gocha, who pronounces his name "go-shay."
Hogan, a self-employed development consultant, said communication should be improved but the council has not been as closed-minded as Gocha suggests.
"Certainly as an individual, I've always had an open door. I always welcome people to offer their suggestions," Hogan said.
City Council, 2-year term
The race for the two-year council seat may be a tossup as well.
In the October primary, Kathy Hilton edged Allen F. Short by a mere six votes.
Hilton, an education aide-secretary at West Jordan High School, said continued economic development is the underlying theme of her campaign. She said that it's not enough for the city to develop its infrastructure and offer other incentives to attract new business.
"We need to support the businesses once we get them here _ just as much as trying to get them here. Once they're here we should not ignore them or their needs," Hilton said.
Short, a relative newcomer to the community, worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority for 13 years before moving to Utah. He developed programs to mitigate the placement of nuclear-power plants in the Southeast.
A planner for the Utah Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management, Short said communication is the most critical issue facing West Jordan's city government. Many of the voters Short has visited during his campaign have told him they feel disenfranchised from municipal government.
"It's very pervasive. I think it accounts for a lot of things. I think this accounts for why the road bond (election) failed," he said.