That was the message Monday from the Salt Lake County Council's three Democrats, who urged embattled Mayor Nancy Workman to resign from office and stop her bid for a second term.

"In light of the revelations that have come out over the weekend, there is only so much the community and the county can take," said Councilman Joe Hatch, who joined council colleagues Randy Horiuchi and Jim Bradley at state Democratic headquarters to call for Workman's resignation. "I'd like to quote one of my heroes, a very conservative hero from the past, Winston Churchill, when he asked Neville Chamberlain to leave, saying: Mayor Workman, 'be gone.' ''

The Democratic call follows Workman's admission that she hired her daughter's friend, Mark Hufstetler, for $7,500 in public funds to do a job he never finished. Workman already faces trial on two felonies for allegedly steering Health Department funds to help her daughter do bookkeeping at the Murray-based South Valley Boys and Girls Clubs.

Horiuchi, a frequent Democratic defender of the Republican mayor, said Workman's efforts to hold down taxes, create the Unified Fire Authority and usher in a new form of government would win most people another term. But he said it is time for Workman to sacrifice her personal political ambitions for the good of county government and the electorate.

"We are truly, in Salt Lake County, in a state of chaos," Horiuchi said. "Last week the County Council was a quagmire, a cesspool, with certain [GOP] elected officials trying to go on a scavenger hunt of evil to even the score on this set of Workman miscues."

Added Bradley: It is time for voters to hear candidates discuss the issues instead of the latest Workman scandal.

"We can't afford scandal after scandal," Bradley added. "We have to get rid of the distraction, and the distraction right now is Mayor Workman."

Republican Party leaders did not join the Democrats' call. "It doesn't surprise me that they'd make that statement," County GOP Chairwoman Tiani Coleman said.

State GOP Chairman Joe Cannon said the party is not in a position to back another candidate as long as Workman is still a "candidate with an 'R' behind her name." He added, though, that he was disturbed by the latest revelation about the $7,500 contract.

"I was pretty irritated and I think - well, I know, a lot of people were irritated," Cannon said.

The Salt Lake County GOP's Central Committee is scheduled to huddle tonight to discuss Workman's status. Party leaders could ask her to step aside or could unite behind a write-in candidate. Home builder Ellis Ivory is being mentioned as a leading contender.

Republican County Councilman Russell Skousen said he will wait until that discussion takes place to voice his opinion about what the mayor should do. As for Horiuchi's assertion that Republicans at last week's closed council meeting were trying to dig up a scandal on Democrats, Skousen said he wanted to leave office knowing there are tighter rules in place for all public officials.

"The public is fed up with bad conduct," Skousen said. "Yet Democrats seem reluctant to support any changes to the law or ordinances to curb this in the future."

Republican Councilman Cortlund Ashton dismissed the call for Workman's resignation as political posturing to help Democratic mayoral front-runner Peter Corroon. He noted Workman already is on paid leave and is entitled to a presumption of innocence.

"The Democrats are afraid of a straight party vote," he said. "Regardless of what the polls say, when voters walk into the polling place, there's a fair chance folks will cast a straight party vote. If she were to [step down], this would eliminate Republicans' chance because the party would not be able to put anyone else on the ballot."

Bradley countered that Workman's candidacy - not a withdrawal - helps the Democrats. He added, however, her presence in the race is interfering with political discourse on more pressing county issues.

"All [voters] are hearing right now is, who got paid off lately. It's one of these things that we could actually run on a [slogan]: If you don't elect us, there won't be anything left to steal."

meddington@sltrib.com

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Tribune reporter Thomas Burr contributed to this story.