Mayor Stella Welsh lost to challenger Joe Nelson by just under 4,000 votes in an election where voters tossed out the experienced and voted in new blood.
Nelson won the night with 69 percent of the vote, according to final but unofficial results.Twenty-two percent of the registered voters in Orem turned out to choose Nelson and three new councilmen. Incumbents Timothy Christensen and Chris Yandow did not run.
Bill Peperone took the top spot among the six City Council candidates with 5,728 votes, followed by Mike Thompson and 21-year-old Joseph C. Andersen.
Peperone took the lead early on and kept that position throughout the evening.
This is Thompson's third bid for a place in city government.
It's Andersen's first go at politics although he's been involved in campaigns for his father, Hans Verlan Andersen, for years.
Incumbent Stephen E. Sand-strom came in fourth, which means he won't be serving a second term in office.
ReNae Brereton, who is a planning commissioner for Orem, came in fifth, followed by Kelvin Clayton, a former councilman who lost his bid for re-election four years ago as well.
Nelson said he believes the people have spoken with their votes in favor of a mayor and council who will listen and respond to their concerns.
Welsh said people have misunderstood several critical issues of the past year and there has not been enough time for the decisions made to be validated as good ones.