Lifelong South Salt Lake resident Cherie Wood is asking voters to elect her to the mayor’s office for the fifth time this fall.
Wood faces a challenge from communications professional Brittany Karzen, who currently works as the public outreach program director for the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.
The Salt Lake Tribune sent a survey to candidates in Salt Lake County’s Nov. 4 municipal mayoral elections. Answers may be edited for style and clarity. Here’s how Wood and Karzen responded, listed in alphabetical order by last name:
Outside of housing or transportation, what is the biggest problem your community faces and how would you overcome it?
Karzen: Outside of housing and transportation, the biggest challenge South Salt Lake faces is carrying a disproportionate share of regional facilities like shelters, the Salt Lake County jail and the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center. These services are vital, but the costs fall too heavily on our residents. I will fight for fair regional funding so responsibility is shared and our diverse community is not left behind, while also working with service providers to expand treatment, prevention and workforce programs that help people build stability and dignity.
Wood: Outside of housing and transportation, our biggest challenge is ensuring public safety while addressing root causes of crime. We’ve invested in community policing, transparency through a Civilian Review Board and strong youth programs like Promise South Salt Lake that reduce crime by keeping kids engaged. We also partner with service providers to connect unhoused residents to resources instead of relying solely on enforcement. By combining prevention, support and accountability, we build a safer, stronger community.
What transportation improvements will you pursue to help residents get around easily, quickly and safely?
Karzen: South Salt Lake is at the center of the valley, and we need transit that truly serves our residents. I will focus on safer access to TRAX stations, bus stops and sidewalks with better lighting, crosswalks and walkability. I will work with UTA to improve routes so they meet daily needs, not just commuter traffic passing through our city. I also support investing in road maintenance, bike lanes and pedestrian pathways so all neighborhoods, both established and new, benefit from safer, more connected options.
Wood: I will prioritize safe, accessible and sustainable transportation. We are expanding pedestrian walkways and bike lanes; improving connections to the S-Line, TRAX, and bus routes; and ensuring high-density growth is built near transit hubs. I support using tools like Public Improvement Districts so developers — not taxpayers — fund needed infrastructure upgrades. With $185 million in Housing Transit Reinvestment Zone funding secured, we can align housing and transit to make it easier, quicker, and safer for residents to move around the city.
Utah is now tied with Idaho and Rhode Island for the seventh most expensive housing market in the nation. As mayor, how will you approach affordability, growth and growing pains in your city?
Karzen: Utah’s housing costs are putting pressure on families, and South Salt Lake must be proactive in how we grow. I will support policies that expand housing options while protecting affordability, including mixed-use and mixed-income developments that strengthen neighborhoods. Just as important, I will work to help residents stay in the homes they have lived in for years and ensure residential areas remain places for residents first. Growth must balance new development with stability, transparency and quality of life.
Wood: Housing affordability is one of our greatest challenges. I’ve focused on strategic zoning in our downtown to support high-density, transit-oriented development that meets state requirements while keeping housing connected to jobs and transit. We work closely with developers to include affordable units and use tools like Public Improvement Districts so growth pays for its own infrastructure. My priority is balancing smart growth with livability, ensuring South Salt Lake remains affordable and welcoming for families and future generations.
Immigration has been an important issue in many communities, especially in those that are considering law enforcement partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Would you support such a partnership in your community?
Karzen: No.
Wood: No.
If elected, would you advocate for your community to conserve more water to aid the Great Salt Lake?
Karzen: Yes.
Wood: Yes.
What’s a fun or interesting fact about yourself?
Karzen: I’ve been skydiving twice, once with each of my brothers for their 18th birthdays.
Wood: I was born and raised in South Salt Lake and have worked for the city since I was 19.