This little town, incorporated in May 1989, is the envy of many of its bigger neighbors.
With Geneva Steel and 12 other tax-paying entities in its boundaries, Vineyard's budget is healthy, even robust. As one candidate for the town council said, the question is not how to get funds but how to put them to the best use.The town recently converted a building into a town hall and is in the process of building a $400,000 park, complete with a ball diamond, tennis court and play areas. Property taxes paid by Geneva Steel alone cover the cost of the park.
Thirty-eight families live in Vineyard, a total of about 156 people. Nearly every one is related - a boon in that elected officials have no trouble understanding what their constituents think, a hazard in that it's sometimes difficult to go against the opinion of cousins and in-laws.
But all in all, compared to the politics in other cities, serving on the Vineyard Town Council is a pleasure. Here's who is running for the two four-year terms:
Grace Holdaway has served on the council since Vineyard's incorporation in 1989.
"I feel like I'm starting to learn the things that need to be done and that shouldn't be done," Holdaway said. "I didn't realize small towns had the same requirements as large cities. It's interesting. It's fun to be a part of it."
Holdaway is semi-retired after 16 years as the vice president of Alpine Credit Union. Her focus on the town council is finances.
Holdaway, 60, resides at 120 S. Holdaway Road.
Few candidates have as unusual a reason for pursuing elected office as Stanley W. Morris.
"There are only two of us in the town that are not relatives," Morris said. "I'm one.
"The town has a hard time making certain decisions because everyone is a relative and (council members) are afraid they are going to hurt someone's feelings," said Morris, an incumbent. "I'm the only one that has a free voice, not hindered by relationships. Everyone comes to me when they can't talk to each other."
He also provides the only non-agricultural perspective on the council.
Morris wants to improve Vineyard's relationship with Geneva Steel and other businesses within the town's boundaries.
His philosophy is to keep the town government as relaxed and informal as possible. Morris, 49, is the owner of Fine Arts Dental Lab. He lives at 520 Holdaway Road.
Norman G. Holdaway wants to keep Vineyard as rural as possible. He said the town can accomplish that in the face of inevitable growth through careful planning and controlled development.
Holdaway would like to get an overpass installed where railroad tracks cross Geneva Road, just east of West Geneva Road. Trains headed for the steel mill often block Geneva Road, tying up traffic in both directions.
"That's a nightmare," Holdaway said. "It causes the police and fire vehicles to have to go clear around to the diagonal to get around if a train is there. If they ever get the Orem park down there, it's going to cause problems, too."
Holdaway would like to bring bus service to Vineyard and work to improve the town's relationship with Geneva Steel. He also believes the town needs more traffic control, such as speed limit signs.
Holdaway, 42, served on the Vineyard Planning Commission for the past year. He is an electronic engineer at Brigham Young University and resides at 315 S. Holdaway Road.
David C. Robins said Vineyard was a great place to grow up and he wants to keep it that way.
"We're a young community but a lot of growth will take place eventually," he said. Robins, an accountant, believes his budget and planning skills would be beneficial as the town faces growth.
Because of Vineyard's size, it is vital that council members have good rapport with residents. That requires excellent listening skills, Robins said.
Like other candidates, Robins believes it's important for the town to have a good working relationship with Geneva Steel, which covers about half Vineyard's area.
"Their influence is noted in the town," he said.
Robins, 34, is an accountant for Hickory Kist in Spanish Fork. He resides at 70 S. Holdaway Road.