l Mayoral race: David Connors (i), Scott C. Harbertson, Cory Ritz
l City Council, two at-large seats: Paula Alder, David Hale (i), Susan Tanner Holmes, Trinity S. Jordan, Robert Kohutek, Darrell Lake, John G. Montgomery, Art Parmley
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Fires and floods.
Those are just two issues that Farmington officials have had to contend with since the last mayoral election.
All three candidates running for mayor say their No. 1 priority if they win will be to find ways to pay for such vital city services - while keeping Farmington's quaint character intact.
"It's a balancing act," says one-term Mayor David Connors, who is seeking re-election. "The trick is figuring out just what is the right amount of commercial development that will help us pay for important city services. But there can't be so much that it overwhelms the history, character and tradition of the community."
Connors, 53, says the biggest difference between him and the other candidates is experience. Before taking office in 2001, Connors spent eight years on the City Council. He has a law practice in Salt Lake City.
Scott Harbertson, who co-owns a wholesale fastener business, has no political experience. He says too many important decisions are made without citizen input.
"I would bring a business approach," he says. "Yes, the city needs development, but the residents need to feel good about the way it is happening. The developers seem to know where and when these decisions are being made; citizens need the same advantage."
Cory Ritz, 45, is the chairman of the Planning Commission. He says he has seen, first-hand, several incidents in which City Hall has not listened to its constituency. He hopes to change that.
Ritz, who works in sales for Forage Genetics, says every neighborhood has its own concerns that need to be addressed.
"Space is limited. Time is limited. These next four to five years will determine what Farmington will become," he says. "We have one shot to make sure it is something we can all live with."
