That may change - at least during the next two months of this political season - with three brand-name candidates and one highly motivated newcomer running for mayor.

When the dust settles from the Oct. 4 primary, two of the four hopefuls will advance to the Nov. 8 finale.

It could be two-term incumbent Dan Snarr, 55, who has a reputation for shooting from the hip. Snarr acknowledges he sometimes shoots himself in the foot that way.

"For good or bad, I've got name recognition," he says.

It could be Salt Lake County Councilman David Wilde, 49, who says he likes Snarr but feels the mayor is propelling the city of 44,000 people into too much commercial development. Wilde aims to slow that pace.

Or it could be Chad Bennion, 41, a former three-term Utah legislator who previously worked for Snarr and Wilde. Bennion has fond memories of growing up in Murray and wants to revive its sense of community.

Tossed into this intriguing mix is political neophyte Mike Romero, 50, who has been walking and knocking on Murray doors almost every spare minute since July 26.

Romero, an insurance adjuster, concedes he had to muster courage to jump into this race.

"Now I know why the average person doesn't run," he says. "But I'm in it for the people and plan to hang in till the end."

When asked to name his greatest achievement as mayor, Snarr responds: "Building a sense of community. Progress is essential to fund the bottom line here and we've got to be a very progressive city to make that happen."

Cultivating a business-friendly environment and upgrading infrastructure are part of that progress, Snarr says.

But his opponents say he has neglected neighborhoods and needs to communicate more with residents.

"A lot of people feel like they're not listened to. I'm an advocate of citizen participation in the process," says Romero, who hopes to encourage small-business development and attract substantive jobs to Murray.

Wilde, an attorney by profession, says he also gets an earful in parts of Murray.

"Some neighborhoods are worried about being targeted for the bulldozer," he says. "Others ask why they don't take better care of the streets and sidewalks."

Bennion, who works for the Salt Lake County Council and coaches cross country at Murray High, says the city needs to broaden and diversify its economic base - or service fees will continue to climb.

"Over the last few years, more and more businesses left the city and sales tax revenues have been flat," Bennion says, pointing to Murray's need for a grocery store and more movie theaters.

Snarr boasts that the mammoth Intermountain Health Care campus, slated to open in 2007, will make Murray a world destination - and he hopes to get four more years to see it through, as well as other projects.

But Wilde says two terms are enough for any full-time mayor because of the power the executive office can wield. Fresh thinking is needed, he says.

Snarr's contenders support Murray's 97-acre Fireclay redevelopment project, a proposal Snarr promotes every chance he gets.

"The Fireclay project is a good thing. The area fits the definition of blight," Wilde says, adding that he prefers the project without a professional soccer stadium, which now appears bound for Salt Lake City or Sandy.

Bennion, too, is glad there will be no "taxpayer-funded" stadium in Fireclay.

"It would have tied up a significant amount of land and it would have to host about 90 events a year to make it worthwhile," Bennion says.

Romero notes traffic congestion, especially through residential neighborhoods, will need to be addressed with a long-term master plan as the new IHC site and Fireclay project come to fruition.

All four candidates vow to continue to get face to face with Murray's voters in coming days: Wilde's compiling a growing list of people's concerns; Bennion's hoping to inspire voter turnout because "this is the level where politics has the most impact;" Romero's continuing to sell himself, keenly aware he has to earn the office; and Snarr's refusing to make promises he cannot keep.

"It's a sad day," Snarr says, "when politics is all about winning and not about the truth."

cmckitrick@sltrib.com