A fourth seat, District 1, has only two candidates, incumbent Kim Rolfe and challenger Nathan Gedge, who will skip the primary and square off in the general election.

Incumbents fighting for primary votes tout their on-the-job experience and say the council will function more smoothly if newcomers don't have to be brought up to speed.

"The team we have in place - not only on the City Council but [also on staff] - know their jobs and are extremely dedicated," Councilman Rob Bennett said. "I look at it as the glory days of the [Utah] Jazz when they had the right players, the right management staff and they were able to make it to the [NBA] Finals."

But their challengers see the city as a more dysfunctional franchise. Most accuse the council of kowtowing to developers and employing a hostile city staff.

All the candidates agree growth - and the accompanying traffic - is the top issue facing the state's fourth largest city, which recently topped 100,000 people and is projected to reach 165,000 in the next 30 years.

Council District 2

Rob Bennett

Wrapping up his first term, Bennett considers himself the council's "tech guy." He's a computer administrator turned political science grad student.

"I'm an unusual politician in that I won't take credit for anything individually," Bennett, 39, said. "I've been part of a team that has made a lot of good choices."

* Priorities: Say "no" to multi-family housing projects, support schools and land a University of Utah satellite campus and more high-paying jobs.

* Fun fact: He was a freshman during the "Great BYU Pillow Fight Riot of 1987," which eventually had to be broken up by riot police.

Joey Foote

Foote, although officially "retired" after 30 years as a principal and teacher in Granite and Alpine school districts, teaches sixth grade at Herriman Elementary.

"The council has a responsibility to represent the people and the businesses," the 51-year-old said. "It's critical, as well, that our residents know when there's an issue or concern, they can bring it to the council and be heard without having to be treated with contempt or in a demeaning manner."

* Priorities: Back education and balanced growth; bolster the city's executive airport; and address east-west congestion.

* Fun fact: He is a quilter and donates most of his handiwork to children in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Jim Lems

Lems, 48, is the manager of South Salt Lake's Master Muffler. He has volunteered on numerous city committees since moving to West Jordan 23 years ago.

"It's vital that we hear from our citizens because those are the people that we're trying to serve," he said.

* Priorities: Streamline building permits, improve constituent service, form more citizen advisory committees, diversify the housing stock, spend the $4.2 million open-space bond approved by voters in 2004.

* Fun fact: He loves woodworking and currently is turning a 100-year-old ice box into a curio cabinet for his wife, Nora.

Sherrin Pelton

Pelton, 57, is a licensed Realtor and broker and is launching her own office, Copper Mountain Realty, in the next few months.

"It just seems that the city staff and city management are less than friendly to the businesses and the citizenry," she said. "The city needs to be more open and more available."

* Priorities: Make the sign ordinance less cumbersome, balance growth, address traffic, streamline building permits.

* Fun fact: She and husband Ron recently acquired their first two horses for a breeding business.

Council District 3

Leslie Ashton

Ashton, 45, helps fiancées find the right dress at The Bride's Shop in downtown Salt Lake City. A mother of four, she also is a longtime volunteer in West Jordan schools.

"The citizens out here came to me and asked me" to run, Ashton said. "I just feel like the citizens have been violated, and I'd like to do anything I can to fix what's happened."

Ashton said lax building code enforcement has resulted in deteriorating homes in her neighborhood.

* Priorities: Wants to see a skate park, a citywide school district, wildlife preservation, open space and holding developers to their promises.

* Fun fact: She organized kids at Mountain Shadows Elementary to produce the 1999-2000 yearbook when the school didn't have enough funds for the project.

Mike Kellermeyer

Kellermeyer, a finance and insurance manager at a South Salt Lake car dealership, said voters should elect him to a second term because of his "common-sense" approach.

"There is no learning curve. I understand my role in our form of government," the 58-year-old said. "I have given more than lip service to fiscal responsibility."

* Priorities: Fight high-density housing, address traffic, land a regional park, light baseball fields in Veterans Memorial Park.

* Fun fact: A native Missourian, he had no desire to live west of Lawrence, Kan., until he was asked to be one of the first LDS missionaries to serve in Utah in 1976. After completing the mission, he spent 11 days in his hometown and then moved to Utah - for good.

Ben Southworth

Southworth, 32, owns a small online business, Agent Analysis, that acts as a real estate clearinghouse.

"The city needs to do a better job in its public relations, and how it deals with its citizens, neighboring cities and the business community as a whole," he said. "It's important that we repair and rebrand the city's image."

* Priorities: Favors balanced growth, friendlier and speedier customer service at City Hall, beautifying parking strips and boosting the tax base.

* Fun fact: He loves to camp in the San Rafael Swell with his family.

District 4

Clive Killpack

Killpack, 56, is the computer-systems administrator for the Utah Board of Regents.

"The current council has just basically forgotten the people," he said. "They're more interested in representing the city administration than they are the people who elected them."

* Priorities: Rein in spending, follow the master plan to control growth, address traffic, enhance open space and parks.

* Fun fact: He studied music education and composition in college but later picked up computers. He still plays the piano and sings.

Lyle Summers

Summers, the Utah Division of Water Resources' chief economist, is finishing up his second term and hopes for a third. He's proud of "bringing peace and professionalism" to City Hall.

"I have the on-the-job experience, practical knowledge and temperament to help the city overcome some of its major problems, such as congestion on our streets," the 61-year-old said.

* Priorities: Address growth, traffic, trails, public safety, parks and recreation.

* Fun fact: He has six kids, 28 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Aaron Thompson

Thompson, a 36-year-old paralegal at Headwaters Inc., moved to West Jordan from Salt Lake City in January 2006.

"It doesn't take longer than just a single year to understand the problems that West Jordan has," he said.

* Priorities: Upgrade transportation, support schools, aim for balanced growth, improve functioning of City Hall, ensure infrastructure is in place before housing developments finish.

* Fun fact: He worked on Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign and helped orchestrate 2008 candidate New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's visit to Utah in July.

John Winn

Winn, 30, designs roofs for West Truss and lives in the rapidly growing west side.

"We've just really been overlooked by the current city councilman. The development's not being watched," Winn said. "We don't have the infrastructure for traffic that we need."

* Priorities: Boost economic development, ensure quality growth, establish community councils and increase public notification of council decisions.

* Fun fact: He loves to play softball and basketball. "I am very competitive."

rwinters@sltrib.com