It's unclear just why mayoral candidate Ted B. Barratt's margin of victory over Rick K. Storrs was so large.
Both candidates seemed to have a large base of support in the community, and the pair seemed to be running a fairly close race until last week. However, in Tuesday's complete but unofficial results, Barratt outdistanced Storrs by a 4-1 margin. Barratt said he was "very surprised" at the margin of victory.Meanwhile, Storrs, who will fill the remaining two years in his term on the City Council, believes the lopsided loss can be attributed to a front-page editorial in the town's weekly newspaper that ran last week. The editorial unfairly attacked him, Storrs believes, and was timed so that he wouldn't have an opportunity to respond before the election.
Despite recent high-profile political bickering in American Fork, the campaign between Barratt and Storrs was remarkably amiable. In fact, the two men drove together from American Fork to Provo for a televised debate last week. During the drive, they discussed the city's problems but not the campaign.
"I don't think Councilman Storrs wanted to be mayor more than Ted Barratt wanted to be," Barratt said. "I think he just wanted to fix the city."
Barratt, 50, succeeds Jess Green, who met heavy criticism recently after firing Police Chief John Durrant. Barratt doesn't appear to foster the same negative feelings about the city's police as Green did, although Barratt has promised an investigation into Green's allegations of wrongdoing by police. Green's bid for re-election fell short in the primary.
City Council seats being vacated by John McKinney and George Brown will be filled by Don Hampton and Juel A. Belmont. Hampton and Belmont outdistanced Patrick J. Fleming and Fred L. England.
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A familiar trend in Am.F.
Apparently, it is a requirement to have served on the City Council to become mayor of American Fork.
- Ted B. Barratt, who served a term on the council about 15 years ago, was elected mayor Tuesday night. Barratt will succeed
- Jess Green, also a former councilman. Before Green,
- Kay Hutchings served as mayor after being elected in 1989 during the middle of a term on the council. Hutchings' predecessor,
- Kent Evans, was elected at the end of his term as a councilman in 1985.
In 1972, Councilman Malcolm Beck was appointed mayor. Beck served for three terms before being replaced by Evans.