"It's time for a change," said Capon, 71, speaking from her bed-and-breakfast business in the heart of the southern Utah's largest city. "There should be a two-term limit on the mayor's office."

Her opponent, current Mayor Daniel D. McArthur, while having done a good job, she says, needs to be replaced with a fresh someone who has fresh ideas.

"I have the burn and desire," said Capon. "Even though I'm 71 years old, the brain power is still there."

McArthur, if he wins the Nov. 8 election, will become the 70,000-resident city's first mayor to serve four consecutive terms.

Both candidates agree that most the city's issues are related to growth.

The election comes as St. George Boulevard, a main east-west connection within the city, is being torn up for infrastructure replacement and construction of a raised median.

Capon hopes when the project is complete, better signage is installed to make the street safer, and that the stop lights finally get synchronized.

"Something has to be done to increase the flow of traffic," said Capon, who has lived in Asia, Europe, Hawaii and California before settling in St. George 12 years ago.

She said experiments with roundabouts to control traffic is a bad idea and are unpopular. "They're worthless. This is not the place."

She said she would also consider building a light-rail transportation system similar to the one in Salt Lake City to deal with future traffic congestion.

St. George native McArthur, 57, said the No. 1 issue is traffic.

He said that with Red Hills drive and River Road, the city has kept up with the increased traffic flow associated with growth, but that traffic is a perpetual challenge.

Also on the ballot is an initiative to elect all five members of the City Council by districts rather than all at-large.

Capon is for districting, saying that at-large elections allow for too many candidates from a particular area of the city to fill the seats - and do not allowing for a fair representation citywide.

McArthur disagrees, saying districting will open the gates for special-interest bickering in which the council members would concentrate on issues peculiar to their districts at the expense of the city as a whole.

Keeping and maintaining the city's historical integrity is another issue both candidates are concerned about.

"We have to save the remaining quaint, Victorian homes in the city and not sell out to the developers," said Capon. "At the base of a lot of the loss in the older areas in the city is greed."

McArthur points to the Heritage Water Walk project the city has approved as a way of preserving its history. He said old buildings in the downtown area that are owned by the city will be sold to developers in the future who will preserve, rather than demolish, them.

Capon does not shy away from her dark-horse label, insisting she can bring a new dynamic to the city.

"I'm a woman for all seasons," she said. "I bring more experiences of life to the job than the mayor does."

Election 2005

Jacquie D. Capon

l Age: 71.

l Career: Owner of An Olde Penny Farthing Inn Bed and Breakfast, former registered nurse.

l Political experience: Worked on campaigns for husband's City Council race in Concord, Calif., president of Merchants Association in Walnut Creek, Calif.

l Fun fact: Use to fly for Civil Air Patrol, and her favorite movie is "Dr. Zhivago." Loves to eat sushi.

Daniel D. McArthur

(incumbent)

l Age: 57.

l Career: Owner of McArthur Welding, St. George.

l Political experience: On St. George City Council for 10 years prior to being elected mayor in 1993 for first of three terms.

l Fun fact: Loves Scouting, awarded Silver Beaver. Likes to fly and outdoor activities such as hunting and ATV riding with family members. Favorite movie is "Follow Me, Boys."

City Council race

(2 seats)

Suzanne B. Allen (i), Ed Baca,

Gail Bunker (i), Benjamin S. Nickle