In her first week on the job, South Salt Lake's new mayor already is reshaping City Hall.
Cherie Wood is replacing City Attorney Dave Carlson.
Wood said Tuesday that she wants to go in a "different direction" with the position. She plans to ask the City Council to confirm her new pick for city attorney Jan. 13. She has a "gentleman" in mind, she said, but declined to release his name.
"The city attorney is a position of absolute confidence and trust," she said. "An incoming mayor should have the ability to select an individual that shares the same common interests, work ethic and maybe a work history that is commensurate with the [mayor's] goals."
Carlson said he was "disappointed" by Wood's decision.
"It's kind of the hazard of being in politics," Carlson said. With "those appointed positions, you're just kind of at the whim of a new administration."
The attorney said he does not know what his next job will be.
"I'll probably resurface in government somewhere," he said.
Then-Mayor Wes Losser first appointed Carlson in 2002. Losser's successor, Bob Gray, retained him in 2006.
At South Salt Lake, Carlson worked on plans for the proposed Sugar House streetcar line and economic-development projects such as the now-stalled Market Station. He also defended the city's ban on fully nude dancing and crafted an ordinance to limit the number of taverns.
"Dave Carlson served the city very well," Wood said. "A new city attorney will set us apart and help us revitalize our city."
