Business owners, teachers, homemakers, wildlife specialists and retired steelworkers are among the occupations represented by council candidates in 15 Utah County cities and towns.
Residents of cities and towns that do not hold primaries had until 5 p.m. Tuesday to file for office. Many candidates were selected in nominating conventions earlier this month.Of note: Brent Leseberg, former police chief of Alpine City, is running for a seat on the Alpine City Council. Leseberg also happens to be suing the city for $1.5 million, saying it breached aspects of an agreement drafted last November when Mayor Elaine Barnes and the council terminated him as police chief.
The following candidates are hoping to emerge victorious in the final election Nov. 5. Unless otherwise noted, residents will select three candidates, each of whom will serve a four-year term.
Alpine: Robert B. Smith, incumbent, retired steelworker; Merlin Fish, incumbent, entrepreneur; Tim Branscomb, owner of Sierra West Jewelry; Roger Bennett, construction; Brent Leseberg, former police chief of Alpine; Dorothy McFarland, marketing representative; C. Thomas Anderson, real estate agent.
American Fork: Democrats: David E. Laursen, truck driver; Ricky K. Storrs, foreman at wastewater treatment plant; Philip E. Collins.
Republicans: Kent Walker, insurance salesman; James S. Hansen, budget director for Alpine School District; Gerald Larson, incumbent, owner of Larson Limestone Co.
Cedar Fort: (two four-year seats) Necia Harris, bus driver; Spencer Chamberlain, incumbent, Tooele Army Depot employee; Wendell Mac Jensen, Tooele Army Depot employee; Glen Cook, retired farmer.
Cedar Hills: (two four-year seats) Delores Gardiner, homemaker; Elizabeth Johnson, homemaker; H. Robert Howard, assistant principal.
Elk Ridge: (two four-year seats, one two-year seat). Four-year seats - Lea Ann Adams, Realtor; Eldon L. McMurray, teacher; James E. "Jay" Prather, incumbent, Rocky Mountain Helicopters pilot trainer; Tony Searle, electrical engineer; Stephen W. Walker, retired industrial engineer.
Two-year seat - Clayton Creek, Teleflex program manager; Dennis L. Shirley, Division of Wildlife Resources wildlife manager.
Highland: Highlanders for Country Living: Don R. Call, ICM Equipment manager; Gaylen D. Rogers, Salt Lake Community College electrical engineering professor; Kathryn Schramm, homemaker.
People's Party: Brent M. Cook, Utah Power manager; Ron L. Spence, Telelectronics vice president; Glen S. Thurgood, Brigham Young University engineering professor.
Lehi: Progressive Party: Ronald V. Smith, teacher; John K. Haws, retired from National Guard; Lee Rosenhan, owner of Rosenhan Lee Automotive.
Lindon: Citizens Party: Dean Blackhurst, incumbent, dairy farmer; Scott Cullimore, incumbent, parole officer; Bruce Fisher, House of Blinds manager.
Progressive Party: James Dain, BYU building services manager; Jerald Hatch, manager of Norton's Food Center; Suzette Judd, homemaker.
Pleasant Grove: Progressive Party: Lloyd K. Ash, incumbent, self-employed manufacturer; Mary West, incumbent, Bonneville Raceway secretary; Bill West, incumbent, owner of Electronic Business Systems.
People's Party: David Gaines, State Tax Commission employee; Debbi Martin, homemaker.
Independent: Tom Trinnaman, Postal Service employee.
Mapleton: Citizens Party: Brent Finch, teacher; Walter Walser, retired engineer; Wave Miguel, retired steelworker.
Progressive Party: Wynn Everett, machinist; Larry Holdaway, crane operator; Tom Nielson, Utah Valley Community College media systems engineer.
Salem: Progressive Party: Jerry Lake, incumbent, retired military officer; Mike Rawson, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center manager of support services; Mary Klug, homemaker.
Citizens Party: Paul Tervort, DWR regional game manager; Noe Casalino, BYU student and subcontractor; Tom Tolman, National Guard.
Santaquin: (three four-year seats open) A. Hortt Carter, pipefitter; David Hathaway, psychiatric technician; Max Holman, incumbent, steelworker; Randy A. Smith, truck driver.
Springville: (three four-year seats open) Citizens Party: Leon Lee, banker; Orville Roylance, grocer; Grant Palfreyman, US WEST manager.
Progressive Party: Loren Phillips, incumbent, retired teacher; Chris Sorensen, principal; Louis "Bud" Schardine, retired steelworker.
Woodland Hills: (two four-year seats) Tom F. Proctor, retired FBI agent; Orson H. Dietz, incumbent, Teleflex manager; Mike Vandewiele, incumbent, owner of DLS Inc. and The Sprinklerman of Utah.
Vineyard: (two four-year seats) Grace Holdaway, incumbent, vice president of Alpine Credit Union; Stanley W. Morris, incumbent, owner of Fine Arts dental lab; Norman G. Holdaway, BYU electronic engineer; David C. Robins, Hickory Kist accountant.
Other reporters from the Deseret News Utah County Bureau contributed to this report.