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Heber City mayoral candidates debate how best to handle growth

Heber City Mayoral Candidates Kelleen Potter and Heidi Franco
Heber City Mayoral Candidates Kelleen Potter and Heidi Franco

Growth in Heber City is one of the top issues in this year's Mayoral race.

Heber City incumbent Mayor Kelleen Potter has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and a master's degree in Public Administration. She won office in 2017 after having served four years on the City Council.
     
"And I'm running to try and help continue planning to deal with the challenges we're facing in our city. And make sure that we're all coming together to do the right thing." Potter said.

Potter's challenger, Heidi Franco, is finishing her second term on City Council. She has her Ph.D. in Political Science and is a professor of American Government Standards. She thinks the growth in Heber needs better management.

"So, I am running because I know our city is facing incredible challenges with growth. You can't be the fifth fastest-growing micropolitan area in the nation without incredible challenges. I want responsible and sustainable and managed growth that will protect our quality of life, as well as protect what is so priceless about Heber City." Franco said.

Franco wants to elevate transparency in city leadership and bring more collaboration with state and federal stakeholders. She thinks the city code needs higher standards than what exists now, and she wants more long-range planning. Franco said as Mayor; she would make behind-the-scenes stakeholder meetings more transparent to the public.

 "If I were elected Mayor, I would emphasize the substance of the policy focus. And bringing our city code up to more than just the minimum standards that we have right now so that we can manage growth in a thoughtful, responsible, and sustainable way.” She said.

In her four years as Mayor, Potter said she has exhibited leadership through multiple initiatives, including efforts to begin the Main Street bypass study. Potter said her administration had tackled the infrastructure project to upgrade old sewer and water lines. She said her leadership in city master planning had guided cemetery, parks, and airport planning updates.

"The number one issue in our city was our main street. We did a survey, and that was the number one issue. And as a mayor, as you mentioned in a weak form of government, I didn't have a vote. But what I did do, is I called someone I had a good relationship with at UDOT and said Terry, what can we do in our city, and she said, I'll give you $50,000. Potter said that started the ball rolling, finally, after decades of people talking about it, to where there was another study. And now we have an environmental study."

Ballots are arriving in mailboxes now, and election day is on November 2. You can find the entire debate on KPCW.org

KPCW reporter Carolyn Murray covers Summit and Wasatch County School Districts. She also reports on wildlife and environmental stories, along with breaking news. Carolyn has been in town since the mid ‘80s and raised two daughters in Park City.