When it comes to well-known dynamic duos, they're not exactly Butch and Sundance or Stockton and Malone.
But then, none of those other famed twosomes have impacted the day-to-day lives of Murray folks like the governmental tag team of Lynn Pett and Jack DeMann.The lives of the Murray mayor and his administrative assistant have been inextricably intertwined in municipal matters for the better part of 25 years.
Pett's yin to DeMann's yang. Or maybe vice versa.
During the mayor's 23-year stint as Murray's parks and recreation director, DeMann was the commissioner in charge of parks and was Pett's supervisor for eight years.
That table turned eight years ago when Pett was elected mayor and hired DeMann, who had just finished serving six years in the Utah Legislature, to be his administrative assistant.
Over all those years, they've remained friends and have seen themselves more as co-workers than traditional boss and employee.
Not bad for a true-blue Republican (DeMann) and a rock-ribbed dyed-in-the-wool Democrat.
Now, the respected political twosome will retire together Monday when a new mayor takes office.
Pett, 57, already has had several employment offers but isn't sure what his future will hold.
"I don't want to retire-retire," he said. "I think I still have a little good left in me."
DeMann, 64, plans to do some freelance writing, author his personal history and give his spin-casting rig a good workout.
And there'll be time to get together and recall some of their memories and accomplishments. Those include development of the Jordan River Parkway and the city's golf course, planning for environmental cleanups of the smelter and rail yard sites, continued low property taxes and a solid economic base.
"Jack's been great to work with," said Pett. "We're probably two of the most compatible people in local government in Utah.
"I don't know of any other city where two people have worked together this long in administrative positions," he added. "And there aren't too many people in state or local government that one or the other of us doesn't know."
DeMann, who spent 28 years working for Hercules, said the past eight years in government service have been satisfying.
"There were some days that were tough," he said. "But it has been a great way to end my career.
"We feel like we've accomplished a lot for the people," DeMann added. "And we're leaving with the property tax in Murray about one-fourth of what it was when I came to office in 1967."
Pett, who was hired in 1957 as the Murray parks department's sole maintenance worker, became department head in 1964 at age 23 - the youngest department head ever appointed in Murray.
"They never even asked me," he said. "Mayor Ray Greenwood and City Commissioner Clark Cushing just came to my house and said I was appointed."
After 23 years as department head, Pett at age 40 became the executive assistant to Mayors LaRell Muir and Lavar McMillan and spent six years in that role before retiring from the city at age 46.
It wasn't much of a retirement. Two years later, he ran for mayor and won. "That took care of the next eight years," Pett said.
DeMann came to municipal service through a different route.
He was elected to the City Commission in 1967 but stepped down after three years when Hercules transferred him to Delaware.
Returning to Murray two years later, DeMann defeated Cushing and became the commissioner over parks until 1981, when the city's form of government was changed.
After a year on the new council, DeMann was elected to the Utah House of Representatives and served three terms there.
He was working as executive director of the Utah League of Cities and Towns when Pett approached him about returning to Murray.
"I asked Lynn whether he really wanted me to work for him or if he just wanted to pound on me for the eight years he worked for me," DeMann chuckled. "He looked me in the eye and said, `both.' "
Pett said the marriage has been a good one, with the two men's skills complementing each other and very little friction.
DeMann, who began his career as a Deseret News staffer, said working with Pett has been "sheer pleasure" and added he likes the idea of bowing out with his friend and longtime co-worker.
"We've been through nine elections between the two of us, dating back to 1967," he said. "And now we're leaving of our own volition. That's a little unusual."