There are at least four votes Mayor Laurel Brady won't receive in Tuesday's election: The City Council.
In a postcard sent under the council's name, Council members Ben Christensen, Mike Cobia, Mike Nelson and Ann Tolley endorsed fellow Councilman Brian Wall over Brady, who has served as mayor for the past two years.
"In the final analysis, one must do what, in their judgment, is best for Mapleton City," Christensen's statement said. "I will be voting for Brian Wall."
Cobia said Thursday there was no single issue that triggered the endorsement.
"I believe that [Brady] is a good person, but I think Brian would be a better mayor," Cobia said.
Cobia stressed the endorsement had nothing to do with the debate over whether to move the city's boundaries to encompass the site of the Ensign-Bickford plant near the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. Cobia noted that Wall was the only council member to vote against hearing that request.
Tolley, who ran against Brady two years ago, wouldn't cite any specific instances in which she thought Brady's performance was lacking.
"It is strictly a leadership thing that was the genesis of it," Tolley said.
Neither she nor Cobia would say who initiated the endorsement.
Brady said she has known of instances where individual council members expressed concerns to her, but she said she was unaware of the endorsements until being contacted by a reporter.
Brady is hopeful voters will be able to weigh the issues on their own and not be swayed by Wall winning the council's endorsement.
"I know Brian has been on the council for some time, and they are friends," Brady said. She said it will be up to the voters to decide how much weight to give the council's endorsement.
"I have been disappointed that this campaign season has seen negative campaigning," Brady said. "I don't believe that's what Mapleton residents want or deserve."
Wall, who has also been endorsed by former Mayor Dean Allan, said he didn't solicit the council's endorsement but accepts it as a validation of his efforts as a team builder. He added that he and the council have not seen eye-to-eye on everything, but his philosophy is to shake hands and move on once a decision has been made.
