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Voters in West Jordan will now have a chance to weigh in on the turmoil that has besieged city government for months — turning some council meetings into verbal slugfests and resulting in the abrupt resignation of the city manager and ouster of the city attorney.

A majority of the council is up for election — with four of the seven seats on the ballot. The winners, along with incumbents not up for re-election, are in line for much bigger paychecks.

Two-term Councilman Ben Southworth is not seeking re-election in District 3. Instead Tim McConnehey will face Zach Jacob in the Nov. 3 election. Southworth has become the main counterpoint to Mayor Kim Rolfe in warring factions that have at times ripped apart the governing body. But Southworth says his decision has been a long time coming and is unrelated to the recent turmoil.

"After two terms that's probably enough, I don't think it's meant to be a lifetime deal," he said. "I think government works better when you've got fresh legs underneath you."

Chris McConnehey, a one-term incumbent (and brother of candidate Tim McConnehey) has attempted to play peacemaker between his fractious colleagues. He is up for re-election in District 1 and has attracted the most challengers: Jay Thomas, Kevin L. Mertin and Barry L. Bell, setting up the city's only Aug. 11 primary runoff.

McConnehey recently wrote a blog post, encouraging people to run for local office and says he's fine being in a competitive race. "This is how I think government should be," he said.

Judy Hansen, one-term incumbent in District 2, is going for a second term, as is Sophie Rice, who was appointed to the District 4 seat in March to replace Justin Stoker, who stepped down to take a job as the city's deputy public works director. Hansen is challenged by Dirk Burton and Rice by Alan Anderson.

Winners in all four elections, along with incumbents Jeff Haaga and Chad Nichols — who aren't up for re-election until 2017 ­— will be in for significant pay raises.

The council in March voted to approve a yearly salary of $18,000 for each council member — an 84 percent increase from the current $9,780. The hike will take effect in January. Mayor Kim Rolfe, a member of the council who receives an $89,500 salary to reflect full-time responsibilities, argued that the pay for a council member had not changed for more than 20 years.

Pointing to a study comparing compensation of elected leaders of several Wasatch Front cities, he noted that West Jordan's salary was the lowest of those surveyed, yet was the fourth most populous. Council members in West Valley City, the state's second largest, receive nearly $19,000 annually.

McConnehey and Southworth voted against the pay hike. Hansen was the only member facing re-election this year who voted for it. —

Comparison of council salaries in some Wasatch Front cities

Salt Lake City • $24,466.26

West Valley City • $18,820

West Jordan • $18,000

South Jordan • $14,900

Draper • $13,814

Taylorsville • $13,219

Orem • $13,200

Ogden • $11,880

Source: West Jordan salary survey