Salt Lake City Council appoints a new member to fill seat vacated by Amy Fowler

The Salt Lake City Council has a new member.

Council members voted Thursday evening to appoint Sarah Young to the District 7 seat vacated this month by former council member Amy Fowler.

Young, chief of staff for the Utah State Board of Education, was sworn in after a selection process that lasted more than two hours and featured interviews with 15 applicants. She will represent the east side’s Sugar House area.

“I’m incredibly honored,” she said in a brief phone interview, “to have been selected to be the representative for all of the residents in District 7.”

Young’s appointment to the part-time post comes in the wake of Fowler’s May 3 arrest on suspicion of DUI. After initially vowing to stay on the council, Fowler announced May 30 that she would officially step down July 3.

State law required the council to fill the vacated seat within 30 days.

In 2012, Young joined the Utah State Board of Education, where she has held a variety of roles. In 2021, she was appointed chief of staff to the superintendent.

In her interview Thursday, she told the council her work as chief of staff is marked by solving problems.

“For some people, that may be stressful, but I love it,” she said. “Each problem is a puzzle to be solved, and I enjoy collaborating with experts across the system to develop solutions.”

She holds a master’s degree in education from Lesley University in Massachusetts and a bachelor’s in environmental population organism biology from the University of Colorado — Boulder. She also served as an Albert Einstein Fellow with the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Young was one of two finalists to be considered by the council. The council voted 4-2 to appoint her over Lisa Yoder, former sustainability manager for Summit County. Young’s formal appointment was approved unanimously.

“As a candidate,” she told the council during her interview, “I’m committed to working with the council to create coherent policies and systems that improve opportunities for all members of our community while still honoring the local control that’s essential to city residents.”

In her pitch to council members, Young said she would be committed to policies and budget decisions that improve transportation systems and alleviate traffic fueled by higher-density neighborhoods and continued growth.

“By prioritizing sustainable and efficient transportation options and advocating for necessary infrastructure upgrades, and exploring innovative solutions that balance pedestrian needs and automobile traffic,” she said, “I will aim to enhance the overall quality of life for our residents and make commuting more convenient and environmentally friendly.”

District 7 voters will decide in the Nov. 21 general election who will occupy the council seat after Young’s temporary term expires Jan. 2. Young intends to run to retain the seat.