All candidates took the stage to share who they were, why they were running and their priorities at the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce lunch this week.
Common concerns among the candidates were responsible growth, the future of Main Street and plans for a bypass, cost of living and open space.
Beyond those core issues, candidates worked to set themselves apart by highlighting other aspects of their campaigns.
Incumbent Mike Johnston told listeners being a councilmember is a big job and his experience gives him an advantage. He told voters those elected will serve the city in numerous areas.
“It’s not a job that you do just because you love the valley and you want to serve,” he said. “It’s a job that requires experience and professionalism, commitment… [and] a heck of a lot of time.”
Tori Broughton characterized herself as a well-informed candidate who’s optimistic about Heber City’s future. She said growth is inevitable and city leaders shouldn’t see it as a threat.
“Our best days are ahead of us,” she said. “This is a chance for us to include everyone in our community, in a prosperous community where we have more opportunity than we’ve ever had before.”
Christen Thompson and Danny Hill also shared unique perspectives on shaping Heber City’s downtown – Thompson said he wants to focus on pedestrian and biker safety, while Hill spoke of the importance of investing in the arts.
Nick López, meanwhile, took a more critical view of the valley’s growth. While many of the candidates talked about making big changes to revitalize Main Street and make it more pedestrian, López said he’s opposed to rerouting Main Street traffic and building a bypass.
“I will not support anything that’s going to reduce the number of lanes on Main Street and push it into the neighborhoods,” he said.
Jami Hewlett and Vaughn Eric Hokanson said concerns about the city’s future compelled them to run, especially with rising taxes.
Casey Powers and Sid Ostergaard both described affordability problems in personal terms. They said coworkers and family members have had to leave Heber City because of soaring costs, and as councilmembers, they hope to address cost of living issues so the next generation can afford to stay in the valley.
Others on the stage, including Aaron Cheatwood and Paul Royall, said they wanted to promote public engagement with the city council.
“Communication is a big part of why I’m running,” Cheatwood said. “Whether it’s through Facebook, or through the radio or through the newspaper, however it is, to make sure the public is engaged is very, very important.”
This year’s election uses ranked-choice voting. Voters can rank as many of the 11 candidates as they wish. A recording of the Oct. 19 candidate forum hosted by the Heber Leadership Academy is available online.
Voters have until Nov. 10 to visit vote.utah.gov to ensure they’re registered to vote. Residents can cast votes by mail-in ballot or in person. Voting in person will take place at the Wasatch County government building Nov. 14-17 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or on Election Day Nov. 21 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
