Eight Heber residents are running for three city council seats opening up in 2020. A Primary on August 13th will narrow the eight candidates down to six before the municipal general election November 5th.
Heber resident Nick Lopez works as a firefighter for the Salt Lake City Fire Department. He says that along with his military experience help qualify him to be on the Heber City Council.
“Well because I’m a leader,” Lopez continued. “My proven leadership over a lifetime of services in the United States Marine Corps as a sergeant major in United States Marine Core and as a firefighter with the Salt Lake City fire department. I've proven my ability to effectively make tough decisions at really really bad times. I've lived by the Marine Corps 14 leadership traits and principles. I'm a firm and fair and compassionate leader. I listen and absorb what people have to say and I take all their information and gather all the facts and then make a decision from there.”
Lopez has a few different priorities that he’ll focus on if elected. Among those include improving community and transportation in the city including working on the bypass and managing the airport. Other items of importance to Lopez are public services and infrastructure.
“We’ve had at least three water main breaks in the older part of the city this year,” Lopez explained. “Those water main breaks are going to continue to happen until we address the fact that those mains and those public services are starting to age. We need to put monies and time into getting those services up to par; so that we can address those breaks and those type of things. Vast parts of the city still do not have curb and gutter, they don't have street lighting. The lack of the street lighting in some of the areas is probably the cause, or contributes to, the crime that's in those areas. So, those things are important to me because I know that it would be important to those citizens to have those equal infrastructure items that the rest the city has.”
Lopez says his work in Salt Lake City with other public service departments has given him a unique understanding that will help him serve the people of Heber.
“I am a firm, fair and compassionate person,” Lopez said. “I will tell you the answer you may or may not want to hear. I'll tell you it very directly and that directiveness has come throughout my life, I've just been very forward. I’ve even been described as a bulldog by some. When I believe in something firmly and I have a cause to fight, I fight with everything I have to make that happen. To make things better for the community as a whole.”
KPCW has reached out to the eight Heber residents running for City Council. You can find previous and future profiles of candidates on this website.
