As the race for mayor heads to the wire, residents are being blitzed with last-minute campaigning efforts by candidates looking for the votes that will put them into office.
Incumbent Joe Jenkins is hoping his rec-ord during the past four years will carry him to another term; challenger Sherm His-lop is urging residents to vote for change. Shari Holweg, who finished third in the primary election, is staging a write-in campaign.The race has been labeled an open book: In the primary, Jenkins received 33 percent of the vote while Hislop received 22 percent, with the remainder of the vote split among five other candidates.
With that in mind, the Provo mayoral race should be one of the most exciting to watch on Tuesday.
Sherm Hislop believes Provo residents are not being adequately represented by Jenkins and the city's current administration has acted with an "apparent lack of ethics."
Hislop says Provo needs a city government founded on the principles of stewardship and accountability, which applies to utilities, water, air and finances, as well as to people's rights, concerns and opinions.
The current administration has been careless with this stewardship, Hislop says. In the utility department, for example, Hislop says, rates have been allowed to rise 34 percent, putting an unjustifiable burden on residents with low or fixed incomes. He also says the administration has not valued hearing from city employees, has claimed credit for the achievements and work of others and has been fiscally irresponsible.
Hislop believes his experience in the military, at McDonnell Douglas in weapon development and as a developer gives him the capability and background to manage and direct Provo.
"I'm committed to the citizens of Provo and they will be first in all decision-making processes," Hislop said. "I have the capability and competence to manage Provo in a much more efficient way than (Jenkins) has in the interest of all the citizens."
Hislop wants to provide residents with better access to and understanding of city operations. He believes one means of doing that would be to re-emphasize neighborhood committees.
Hislop also says he will: restore full responsibility and accountability of departments to department heads, work on bringing high-technology industries to Provo, develop a research park to exploit the capability and expertise of the combined Provo and Brigham Young University communities, remove the city Energy Department from under the administration's "political domination and manipulation" and develop youth-oriented programs, especially in southwest Provo.
In keeping with that last objective, Hislop has vowed to establish a fund with at least half of the mayor's pay _ 25 percent of which would be used to buy uniforms and equipment for disadvantaged youths who want to play city sports, and 25 percent to buy books for the City Library.
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As Provo continues to grow, it will need a mayor who can represent the residents and their hometown in a positive light when meeting with businessmen and other leaders in the valley, Mayor Joe Jenkins says.
Calling himself a good negotiator, Jenkins believes he is the most qualified candidate for the job.
He said he negotiated some "great sales" at the East Bay Business Park, negotiated with legislators to get the county-state government complex built in Provo as well as the combined 4th Circuit and 4th District Courthouse.
"One of the things the citizens of Provo need to evaluate when they go to the polls is who will be the best representative for Provo. Who do they feel can represent Provo City the best with the governor and congressional delegation, in businesses looking to come into the valley and in daily associations with people and citizens in general?"
Jenkins said his four years in office have brought a great deal of economic development to the city. Sales-tax revenue coming into the city has increased by about $2 million, and more than 5,000 new jobs have been created.
He plans to continue a strong economic-development platform as well as road rehabilitation in the city and revitalization of downtown.
"Economic development is not just East Bay. I think downtown is in a real rebirth. I can count about 66 buildings that have either been renovated or are new, just in the downtown area in the last four years. We will continue following the plan developed in 1985 for redevelopment."
Jenkins has been accused by His-lop of increasing utility rates for no reason, but Jenkins said the Energy Department was significantly in the red and without a reserve when he came into office in 1986.
The department went from a $3 million deficit in four years to a $2.2 million reserve fund, which will give it necessary working capital, he said.
In 1987, utility rates increased 25 percent, and in 1988 an additional 9.8 percent to put department operations in the black. Rates were not increased in 1989 and most likely go will unaltered in 1990, Jenkins said.
As an incumbent, "I don't have to worry about getting up to speed on what is going on in the city. More importantly I have a program in place and people in place. If you see what I've done in the past four years, that's what you can expect the next four years."
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Shari Holweg says she is waging a write-in campaign to give a "viable and real alternative for those who want to change Provo for the better."
Holweg says she could not support either of the remaining candidates and her supporters "were quick to say that if I dropped out they would have no one to vote for."
Holweg says that as mayor she would enforce the laws and ordinances of the city, continue to build on Provo's economic growth, insist on fair and legal bidding practices by the city and work to resolve University Avenue and Provo Canyon traffic problems. Holweg would develop a master plan for renovation of downtown Provo and take steps to protect city power and other city services.
"To preserve the quality of life that we have chosen here in Provo, the top priority will be to create a balance between new development and providing the best services possible," Holweg said.