PROVO — Mayor Lewis Billings has joined the trend of Provo politicians taking sides in next week's election, endorsing a City Council candidate who endorsed him in the last mayoral race.
Billings and his wife, Patti, sent a letter to select Provoans this week supporting Coy Porter. Porter is trying to unseat council member Steve Turley, who has clashed repeatedly with the mayor over the past four years.
Billings appointed Porter as chief of the Provo Fire Department in 2002. In 2005, Porter joined two former Provo fire chiefs to endorse Billings over one of their own, retired firefighter Dave Bailey. The letter from the three chiefs arrived in Provo mailboxes in the last week of the race. The endorsements were considered a key factor in winning a third mayoral term for Billings.
"I expected this from Mr. Billings," Turley said. "He's in a tight race two years ago, and his subordinate, which is what I struggled with back then, wrote a pretty strong rebuke of the other candidate. Obviously, two years goes by and the mayor is returning the favor. How do you define quid pro quo?"
Porter said this week that he didn't intend to run for council when he endorsed Billings. Billings said he didn't owe Porter anything.
"I've had so many people ask me about this race," Billings said, "and they appreciate what I tell them about who I'm supporting. There's a need for people to know they have a chance to vote for one of the finest candidates I've ever seen run. He's been a little shy asking people to do things and for money, so Patti and I thought we'd share our perspective. I feel really good about it."
Turley said the mayor's endorsement of Porter is like a fox wanting to guard the henhouse.
"The council is supposed to be exercising oversight over the mayor," Turley said. "How can we expect that oversight from a man handpicked by the mayor? Where is the check and balance if the mayor gets to pick who gets to exercise oversight over him?"
The Billingses didn't mention Turley in the full-page letter. They called Porter a strong and fair manager and an effective communicator and collaborator they have known for 13 years.
The couple paid $132 to produce and mail the letter themselves.
E-mail: twalch@desnews.com