Millcreek voter guide 2023

City Council

District 3

Ranked choice voting. Voters will rank up to three candidates.

David F. Holz

Occupation: Self-employed designer/manufacturer.

If elected, what would you do to provide more affordable housing options to your residents? Would you support higher-density housing?

Millcreek has limited property available for housing. Lots that are vacant are turned into apartments. Solving housing issues is a delicate proposition because you would need to destroy existing sites such as neighborhoods or commercial areas in order to redo housing areas for occupancy. If land isn’t available, you can’t implement eminent domain to solve the problems. There are already large sections of Salt Lake County that have newly constructed affordable housing and apartments.

What is your city’s responsibility in addressing homelessness, and what would you do within the boundaries of your community to help unhoused Utahns?

Homelessness is a serious problem and will only get worse when there is a drastic change in the economy. If society can’t find a solution, it is usually because people don’t care; out of sight, out of mind; it-isn’t-in-my-neighborhood-so-I-don’t-see-a-problem attitude. People need to care more about how society has changed and who keeps benefiting from the greed we all live with.

Besides affordable housing or homelessness, what is the biggest challenge your city faces, and how would you address it?

Transportation is a problem because 3300 South is “State Street” east and west from Interstate 215 east to the west mountains. The county needs to support local commercial development. “Local” in order to minimize travel throughout the valley.

What is a fun or unique fact about yourself?

I played soccer in high school and for the University of Utah. I am a big fan of soccer and don’t ski anymore, and I support all U. sports.

Cheri Jackson

Occupation: Public servant.

If elected, what would you do to provide more affordable housing options to your residents? Would you support higher-density housing?

As part of the City Council, I worked to update the Millcreek general plan this past year to include nine strategies to incentivize and reduce barriers to affordable housing. Some of these strategies include: rezoning for densities necessary to facilitate the production of affordable housing, reducing regulations related to internal or detached accessory dwelling units in residential zones, zoning for higher-density or affordable residential development in commercial or mixed-use zones near major transit corridors, amending parking requirements for residential development near mass-transit corridors or senior living facilities, developing a station area plan to guide development near the TRAX light rail stations, implementing zoning incentives for affordable units in new developments, and reducing, waiving or eliminating impact fees related to affordable housing.

What is your city’s responsibility in addressing homelessness, and what would you do within the boundaries of your community to help unhoused Utahns?

Millcreek hosted an overflow homeless shelter this past year. Our residents had many concerns before the shelter opened, but the city worked to prevent and address them through community

outreach and increased police presence. We also worked to mobilize Millcreek residents’ desire to help. The city collected clothing and blankets. Residents also donated hygiene kits, water bottles, coffee and snacks to those who stayed at the overflow shelter. In all, over 30 carloads of goods were donated. While Millcreek will not be hosting an overflow shelter this year, we can work to support the existing shelters in our valley by continuing to organize donations to help the homeless. We will continue to help the unsheltered people in Millcreek find resources and temporary housing. In the long term, we are working to add more affordable housing in Millcreek and to help connect those looking for work to Millcreek employers.

Besides affordable housing or homelessness, what is the biggest challenge your city faces, and how would you address it?

The biggest challenge our city faces is inflation. Costs have increased on everything from police and fire service to snow plowing, road repair, infrastructure improvements and trash removal. As a City Council member and the city treasurer, I am concerned about keeping taxes low and not increasing the burden on our residents — especially as they also face inflation pressures.

At the same time, we need to address the funding challenges we face. We are working to leverage our spending power through grants and other appropriations to help address our infrastructure needs. We are also working to cut unnecessary expenses and to fine-tune our contracted services to pay for only what we need and use.

What is a fun or unique fact about yourself?

I learned to tap dance three years ago. I am terrible, but I can cross it off my bucket list.

Scott Springer

Occupation: Mathematical statistician for the U.S. Census Bureau.

If elected, what would you do to provide more affordable housing options to your residents? Would you support higher-density housing?

If elected, I would make it easier to build more high-density housing and ensure affordable units in every proposed development.

What is your city’s responsibility in addressing homelessness, and what would you do within the boundaries of your community to help unhoused Utahns?

Along with building more affordable housing, there are other ways of helping unhoused individuals in Millcreek. Most are unhoused for a short period, and the city could partner with other jurisdictions to provide temporary housing solutions for residents in need and help connect them with possible employers to get them back on their feet. In addition to acute homelessness, there is chronic homelessness. This is a more challenging situation and is much more resource-intensive. I believe in a housing-first approach in which individuals can enter a safer environment to work on the underlying issues driving them to be unhoused.

Besides affordable housing or homelessness, what is the biggest challenge your city faces, and how would you address it?

The biggest problem I see in my community is how to address a changing climate and move to a greener economy. The primary way to address this is by building higher-density nodes where amenities are within walking distance and improving public transit and nonautomobile infrastructure to facilitate the movement of people in and out of the city.

What is a fun or unique fact about yourself?

I am an ultra-endurance cyclist and bike tourer. My most significant accomplishments in this field are riding unsupported from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean in 23 days and riding from Millcreek to St. George in one day.