Interim Mayor Jim Dain and Ben Nolte a first-time candidate and owner of travel company BigAmazonFish.com, are running for a two-year term to replace Acerson, who resigned to preside over an overseas mission for his church.

Dain, 54, sees his past City Council experience - and his desire to serve the community - as his strong points. He served three terms, from 1992 to 2004. In July, he was appointed to serve as interim mayor until the public could vote on Acerson's successor.

"I see it as an opportunity to give a little something back," said Dain, who works as an architect at Brigham Young University.

Managing growth in this Utah County city, while preserving its rural atmosphere, is a challenge both candidates acknowledge. Lindon has preserved its large lot sizes and allowed animal rights, Dain said, but has made some concessions to growth.

One of those concessions is allowing slightly greater density, in some parts of the city, for affordable housing.

Nolte, 31, said there is a need for such housing, but the current administration has not offered an effective solution. While Lindon has increased density, Nolte said some developers have insisted on building large homes on the lots, destroying the open spaces that give Lindon its "little bit of country" trademark.

"It looks like we have a bunch of mini skyscrapers," Nolte said of the clustered homes.

If elected, Nolte said he would push to zone land for a planned development and then allow developers to submit bids about how they would provide affordable housing in a manner that preserves the community's unique character. The competition, Nolte believes, would allow the city to provide affordable housing without sacrificing atmosphere.

He also has concerns about another sign of the city's growth: its move to create its own police force and not rely on Pleasant Grove for protection.

While Nolte sees a need for Lindon to go out on its own, he thinks the city is moving too fast and may be putting the public in jeopardy. The city recently hired its first chief.

Dain countered the city did not suddenly decide to dump Pleasant Grove's police services and go out on its own. He said the plan has been discussed for two or three years. He said it will mean better police coverage for residents.

dmeyers@sltrib.com