Heber City races

l Mayor: Kent L. King, Shari K. Lazenby, David R. Phillips

l Council (two at-large seats): Norman Eiting, Elizabeth Hokanson, Michael Thurber, Wayne Hardman, Paul F. Royal III, John Hayes Burns (i), John Rogers, Keith Rawlings, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Robert L. Patterson

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The main issue is Main Street.

And Heber City's three mayoral contenders - two City Council members and a newcomer - are divided over how best to revitalize the flagging thoroughfare.

Earlier this year, the council voted to cap retail outlets at 60,000 square feet to keep big-box retailers out of Heber City. But now the growing city of 9,000 people is battling to keep its Main Street retail core vibrant.

Mayoral candidate Kent King said blocking large stores like Wal-Mart is a mistake.

About two years ago, he moved to Heber City and opened a mortgage-brokerage firm. Previously, he had been in hotel management for 12 years.

King said he would use his business background to foster more commerce along the city's struggling retail zone.

"Our Main Street is our business corridor. But businesses are closing up," he said. "This is not a very business-friendly environment."

As mayor, King said he would form a partnership involving business, government and the public.

"We need to bring businesses back to Heber, so people can live here and work here," he said. "I would go back to [Salt Lake City-based] The Boyer Company and say, 'How can we bring in commercial?' ”

But David Phillips, who voted to limit big box stores and is running for mayor after six years on the City Council, argues that keeping superstores such as Wal-Mart off Main Street is good for home-grown businesses.

"There is a Wal-Mart in Park City and Orem," he said. "People in our community want their own identity."

He agrees with King that the city must be more aggressive in attracting businesses. To that end, he said Heber City should partner with Wasatch County on economic-development initiatives.

Among other things, Phillips is campaigning on his experience. He served five years on the Planning Commission, four years on the board of Heber Valley Power and one year on the Board of Adjustment.

"I want people to vote for me based on my experience and leadership," he said.

Businesswoman Shari Lazenby also voted in favor of the cap on big-box stores. She is halfway through her first four-year council term and owns Wasatch Footwear on Main Street.

Retail chains take money out of the community, she said, because profits are sent to the corporate headquarters. So fostering locally owned businesses through grants and tax incentives is better for the community, she said.

"When you have a local business, it pays local employees who then spend their paychecks in town," she said. "It builds the economy."

As the owner of a Main Street shop, Lazenby said she knows what it takes to keep existing businesses healthy and can show others how they can do business in Heber City.

Her first order of business as mayor would be for city employees to draw up a mission statement. "The city needs to be more oriented to customer satisfaction," she said.

The Oct. 4 primary will trim the mayoral field - incumbent Lynn Adams is not seeking re-election - to two finalists for the Nov. 8 general election.

csmart@sltrib.com