Retired dentist Gordon S. Taylor has unseated incumbent Mayor Russell Hillman in a tight race that brought issues of unity in the city to the forefront.
Hillman, recently named as the Outstanding Elected Official of the Year by the Utah League of Cities and Towns, was campaigning on the strength of the economic development Payson has enjoyed. But residents were also concerned about city finances that showed operations in the red for the past few years.Taylor voiced concerns during the election that officials had forgotten the residents and that it was time for the city to come together and work for a new level of unity, particularly with some of the volunteer boards of the city.
Incumbent Councilman James M. Griffin retained his seat, and Bernell C. Evans, a retired school teacher and lifetime resident of Payson, will replace current Councilman Bob Provstgaard, who came in third in the council race. Griffin is a teacher at Payson High School.
More than 40 percent of registered voters in Payson turned out for the election Tuesday.