Franco told KPCW in an email Monday, April 15, she will seek four more years as Heber’s mayor.
Also entering the race is Councilmember Scott Phillips, who was elected to the city council in 2021.
The announcements come just ahead of Tuesday’s Heber City Council vote on whether to use ranked choice voting for a third election cycle.
In a phone interview hours before the meeting, Phillips told KPCW he wants to offer the city’s voters an alternative model of leadership.
“Mainly, I want to give the people a second choice,” he said. “I feel like the mayor and I have very different visions of what Heber City is and what it can be, and I’d like to offer the people that choice.”
He said his top priorities are “truly affordable” housing for people living and working in Wasatch County, as well as the redevelopment of downtown.
Phillips, who works as a financial advisor, said he wants to support city staff as mayor. He said he and Franco share some common ground, and he hopes to run a civil, ideas-focused campaign.
Franco didn’t immediately respond to KPCW’s requests for comment Monday or Tuesday.
As mayor, she has made open space protection a hallmark of her work in government, also serving as the chair of the Wasatch Open Lands Board.
Franco ousted incumbent Kelleen Potter in a tight race during the 2021 election, winning with 51% of the votes. Before becoming mayor, she served two terms on the city council.
