One week after winning election and eight weeks before taking the oath, Corroon is well on his way to keeping that promise.

"If I say I'm going to do something, I generally do it," noted the Democratic mayor-elect, as volunteers scurried around him, tearing down his campaign office.

The county's 2005 budget - as proposed by the mayor's office - will include several of Corroon's ideas, thanks to acting Republican Mayor Alan Dayton, who is helping to orchestrate a smooth transition.

Corroon is eliminating seven positions in the mayor's office - including the general counsel and public relations spots - along with reductions in travel and perks.

The mayor-elect says that is going to be typical of his administration.

"We're going to get the word out: We've got a new government, a fresh start," Corroon said.

Days after clinching victory to become the first Democrat to lead county government in a decade, Corroon said he has winnowed his first three initiatives to bolstering ethics rules, establishing a countywide master plan and creating an economic-development coordinator job.

Corroon also hopes to develop master planning for bicycles across Utah's most populous county and tighten the Foothill/Canyon Overlay Zone "so there are no loopholes."

Besides making room for two wheels, he also likes four legs - and that means dog parks.

"Millcreek is loved to death by the dog owners," he said. "There needs to be more places for them to go."

Much of Corroon's mantra sounds regurgitated from the stump, but he insists it will be possible by appointing the best and brightest.

And that could include Republicans.

"It's not a question I'm going to ask," he said about partisanship. Already the mayor-elect has received a small stack of rsums - and many more phone calls - including some from GOP operatives angling for a job.

Corroon says no positions have been filled yet in his administration, and he is asking every current appointee who wants to work for him to submit a rsum.

Michael Jensen, a Republican on the County Council, praised Corroon's approach.

"I would applaud that sentiment," he said. "We don't make or manufacture anything. We provide service. If you get the best people in the best spots, you can save taxpayers money."

Corroon also plans to improve communication between county departments, the County Council and the mayor's office as well as remove the mayor's name from employee business cards and a plethora of signs around the valley - an unpopular legacy of the Nancy Workman administration.

Sounding both reformist and centrist, the mayor-elect also pledges to be visible. Calling himself "a workhorse, not a show horse," he plans to roam through communities on a regular basis and attend most County Council meetings. He is even open to holding monthly news conferences.

So how does the Avenues resident avoid comparisons to another prominent Salt Lake City Democrat?

"I'm not going to be the poster boy for social change," he said, in a reference to Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson.

At the same time, Corroon says he doesn't expect a scolding from Democratic leaders if he taps Republicans for various positions.

"They haven't so far tried to control me."

But as throughout the campaign, Corroon is a model of control. He just joined Jim Matheson and Rocky Anderson as the state's most visible Democrats and emerged triumphant from one of the most dramatic races in Utah history. How about a yippee? A hurrah? Maybe a fist pump or a high-five?

Nope. Instead, wearing a neatly pressed suit with his hands clasped together and his voice monotone, Corroon utters, "I'm thrilled."

djensen@sltrib.com

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Tribune reporter Thomas Burr contributed to this story.

On the agenda

Top priorities for Salt Lake County's top dog:

Implement ethics reform.

Establish a countywide master plan.

Create an economic- development position to work with the cities and chambers.