South Jordan » The monthly luncheon spans two tables and two generations, women munching salads and sandwiches at a suburban steakhouse. The menu may be mundane but the agenda is anything but: These women are here to dish on political elections, government reform and civic redevelopment.

Membership in this 2-year-old lunch club, which includes current and former mayors and councilwomen, has swelled since the informal group of political junkies finally donned a title last fall: Troublemakers.

"It became more appealing" once it was known as the "Troublemakers' lunch," laughs founding member Jennifer Scott, district director for U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz. "Women should make a little trouble."

The name is spoken tongue-in-cheek -- a lighthearted jab at people who would believe that any time women get involved in politics they are up to no good.

"Troublemaking," former Taylorsville Mayor Janice Auger explains, "that's in the eye of the beholder. I don't think that we start out to be troublemakers, but the people who disagree with us perceive us as troublemakers."

The two-term mayor has had her share of disagreements with the political establishment. In 2002, the Salt Lake County Republican Party stripped her of a leadership post in the group for doing the unthinkable: endorsing a Democrat (County Councilman Randy Horiuchi.)

Auger and another former mayor, Donna Evans, who led West Jordan from 1998 to 2002, recall being told they weren't supposed to win.

"I wasn't supposed to run," chimes in new West Jordan Mayor Melissa Johnson, another member of the club. Johnson says politicos discouraged her from her first stab at elected office: her 2005 ouster of a city councilman.

The group of women also includes Jordan School District board member Peggy Jo Kennett, new Taylorsville Councilwoman Dama Barbour, Lehi Planning Commissioner Carolyn Nelson, former Draper Councilwoman Stephanie Davis, ethics-reform advocate Ronda Rose and Salt Lake County Republican Party political director Julie Dole.

And at January's gathering, self-proclaimed "troublemaking virgin" Cyndee Derbidge traveled from Centerville for her first luncheon. She volunteers in her kids' elementary school, teaching the democratic process, but is interested in becoming involved herself.

"For a lot of us, politics has been a solution to the mid-mom crisis," says Cynthia Bee, Scott's sister and a former city planner. "The kids are old enough to be in school. You finally have extra time. How do you fill it? You don't just want to fill it, you want to do something valuable."

The luncheon, Scott says, is a chance for the women to talk shop with others who share their passion. It's not limited to those of one political viewpoint, either. Nelson, a former West Jordan City Council member, boasts that she is the "token Democrat."

Johnson says she values having discussions with friends who don't share her politics. She belongs to the Women's Republican Club of Salt Lake, but prefers her lunches with the Troublemakers.

"I don't find that [Republican Club] conversation as valuable because there's no diversity of ideas that are being shared," Johnson says. "An organization like [Troublemakers] involves such diversity of background and political view."

Scott sums it up this way, "We love to get together with other women who don't roll their eyes when politics is mentioned."

Evans agrees. Sometimes, she says, her husband has to tell her, "Go call your girlfriends" when she goes on too long about city budgets or redevelopments planned in Draper, where they now live.

The lunches have become a place where the women can share the gaffes they see other politicians make, discuss policy and relish former political victories. It's also a place where seasoned politicians can mentor newcomers.

At January's lunch, Scott coaches Kaysville resident DeAnn Kelly on an upcoming interview for a vacant slot on the Kaysville City Council. Scott offers advice on answering the inevitable question: "Why are you running for political office?"

Be specific, Scott says, show a passion for the job.

She also warns Kelly, who wound up not getting the council post, about what not to say: "My church told me to get more involved in politics."

During West Jordan's 2009 election, the Troublemakers stirred up some trouble of their own --unintentionally. When Johnson's opponents learned of her monthly lunches, rumors spread that Evans -- known for her efforts, sometimes controversial, to fight City Hall corruption during her tenure -- secretly was managing Johnson's mayoral run.

"Donna was orchestrating, and we were the evil minions," Auger says in mock seriousness.

But Johnson retained her campaign manager from her successful council run: her husband, Steve. And Evans missed most of the pre-election lunches.

Out of political office now, Evans merely "dabbles," Scott says, in troublemaking.

rwinters@sltrib.com