Dan Gotchy, who previously served on the northern Davis County community's Planning Commission for six years, hopes to defeat Mayor Fred Childs in the Nov. 6 election.
The winner will complete the final two years of the mayoral term of Timothy Isom, who moved out of state.
Childs, who served on the City Council for more than 17 years, was appointed by his fellow council members last summer to temporarily replace Isom. Before retiring, he ran a truck fleet for the company that owns Cream O' Weber.
Childs, 72, said Sunset's homes, built mostly during the war and post-war years of the 1940s and 1950s and became a bedroom community for nearby Hill Air Force Base, do not provide sufficient tax base.
"Our biggest challenge is bringing in businesses," said Childs, who says he is motivated by the challenge of seeing if he "can do some good" for his community.
Childs said he will press for Sunset to annex a share of the land when Hill AFB moves its west-side fence farther to the east.
Such acreage could provide the city with a sorely needed commercial-development opportunities, he said. Besides, it was once a part of Sunset.
Gotchy, 41, a case manager with Catholic Community Service's food bank in Ogden, said he would be more feisty in making sure Sunset gets its share of the land.
"We're not going to give up without a fight," he said.
Gotchy said the city's general plan was written during the six years he served on the planning commission, but few of its goals have been realized.
"Things are never going to change until someone steps up," he said.
The city, he said, has remained a small bedroom community for 35 years and needs more aggressive leadership.
He would like to institute a good-landlord program like Ogden's, which rewards landlord education. He also would improve city lighting and make Sunset a more walkable community.
"If we're not planning for its future, we're planning for its demise," said Gotchy.
kmoulton@sltrib.com
* Age: 72.
* Education: One year at Brigham Young University.
* Professional: Retired fleet manager for company that owns Cream O' Weber.
* Political: Sunset City Council for more than 17 years; appointed mayor three months ago.
* Family: Wife, Anita, and five grown children.
* Fun fact: A sports enthusiast who follows golf and tennis on television.
* Age: 41.
* Education: Bachelor's in social work from Weber State University.
* Professional: Case manager at Catholic Community Services' Joyce Hansen Food Bank.
* Political: Six years on Sunset Planning Commission.
* Family: Wife, Debbie, and six children.
* Fun fact: Coaches Special Olympians.
