After seven years on Tooele's City Council, Johnson wants to employ her energy and outlook on a larger scale.

"People should vote for me because I'm a woman," she said, noting the current commission's all-male makeup. "A woman has a different perspective on things."

But White says he has perspective on Tooele County's economic development. That, he emphasizes, will be the key to quality growth.

"My goal is to improve our economy so that we don't have to depend on the hazardous waste industry," he said. "Although I support Envirocare, those jobs could go away quickly."

The fast-growing county of 48,000 recently reached an agreement with Wal-Mart to locate a distribution center near Grantsville. White envisions a business corridor along Interstate 80.

Johnson, on the other hand, says she would like to see the state prison relocated in her county because it would bring hundreds of long-term stable jobs. "We need such things that are going to stay and provide jobs for our kids."

White does not favor the prison because, as a state facility, it would not provide property taxes. "That's critical because each household generates only 75 percent of tax revenue needed to provide services," he said.

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Jon Huntsman Jr. floated the idea recently of moving the state prison from its longtime Draper home.

With or without the prison, Tooele County is expected to continue its surge in population growth.

White, a Democrat, says the groundwork has been laid for well-planned growth. He touts the county's master plan, recognized by former Gov. Mike Leavitt, as one that looked to the future. Tooele County's various communities were included when drafting the plan.

But Johnson, a Republican who has tussled with growth issues for the past seven years at the city level, says the county isn't ready for the next growth onslaught. "It concerns me. There's a lot more that needs to be done," she said.

Among growth-related issues that need more attention is the preservation of open space, Johnson noted. "This has been an agricultural community. But we are losing our farmlands fast," she said. "We have to do more to maintain open space as farms are sold for development."

White maintains that most housing development is taking place within incorporated cities - outside county jurisdiction. "There is plenty of open space for recreation," he said. "But I like to see good productive farmland. We have to do more to protect agriculture."

The Deseret Peak Recreation Complex, which includes rodeo grounds and ballparks, has popped up as an election issue, largely because the county facility loses money.

But that is to be expected, White said. "Parks are an expensive necessity in populated areas," he said. "There is always more that can be done. But we're looking for a private-public partnership there."

Although nonspecific, Johnson says she has ideas that would help offset expenses there. "It will never pay for itself, but we can implement programs to help it sustain itself."

csmart@sltrib.com