After nearly four years on the city council, Yvonne Barney said she has more work to do for the citizens of Heber.
She said she doesn’t shy away from hard conversations with residents with whom she disagrees. She’s also not afraid to be the dissenting vote on the council.
Those differences of opinion crop up most often in discussions about growth in the city, where Barney feels a measured approach is best.
“I feel that progress benefits the community, and in some ways, some of our growth has,” she said. “But I do feel that sometimes we kind of put ourselves in a box and say, ‘This is the way it has to be; this is the only way,’ and we’re unwilling to realize that there’s a lot more to it than just saying yes all the time.”
Barney has lived in Heber since the 1980s. Now retired from a job in property management, she’s proud to call herself a full-time grandmother. She brings that family-focused perspective to the council, often sharing how relatives are affected by issues like soaring housing costs and traffic problems.
The cost of living is an especially important issue for Barney.
“The housing prices in Heber City are, on average, $900,000, and your low-income is nothing less than $600,000,” she said. “Well, those individuals who are in certain AMIs [income brackets] can never and will never be able to afford that.”
She said Heber leaders need to think outside the affordable housing box to create solutions for working families, whether by building pocket neighborhoods and townhomes or by requiring long-term deed restrictions.
If elected to a second term, Barney said she wants to focus on honoring the community’s roots, including through city policies that support the historic downtown.
“We need to do something for the downtown area before we lose it,” she said.
Barney joins eight other candidates running for two seats on the Heber City Council.
An Aug. 12 primary election will determine which four candidates will be on the ballot Nov. 4.
