Riverton City Council members Tish Buroker and Tawnee McCay will face off in the Nov. 4 race to lead the southwestern Salt Lake County suburb.
Buroker and McCay have served on the City Council since 2018. McCay is married to Republican state Sen. Dan McCay.
The Salt Lake Tribune sent a survey to candidates in Salt Lake County’s municipal mayoral elections. Answers may be edited for style and clarity. Here’s how Buroker and McCay 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?
Buroker: Ensuring the safety of our community within our budget constraints. Also continued commercial development.
McCay: I voted to NOT remove the skate park and water retention area from the entrance of our crown jewel city park, which my opponent supported. With our growing population, we should be increasing our parks, not selling them off for development. The city needs to be more transparent and get citizen input about important decisions that affect city assets and our parks.
What transportation improvements will you pursue to help residents get around easily, quickly and safely?
Buroker: Riverton is currently undergoing a transportation plan to assist with future planning. Completion of Bangerter Highway, additional east-west roads, mass transit and bike lanes are all part of the solution.
McCay: We have a lot of construction currently happening in Riverton. Fortunately the Bangerter Highway interchanges will be complete soon, which will help alleviate some traffic congestion. Jordan Valley Water and Sewer also have projects going on. They have paid for easements in our roadways which allow them to make repairs or improvements as needed. We cannot legally stop them from doing the construction, but we can help facilitate communication with our residents of timelines and traffic pattern adjustments. It will be nice when this infrastructure is complete and things can return to normal.
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?
Buroker: Most important is updating our master development plan and sticking to it. We need to be less reactive to growth and more proactive.
McCay: Riverton has seen significant growth over the past decade, with dense developments approved between Mountain View Corridor and Bangerter Highway before my council tenure. These continue to be built. As construction continues, I will advocate for detached, single-family, owner-occupied homes without homeowner association requirements in areas where land remains. Reducing rental units will help our children afford homes and build equity in the community they grew up in. Riverton’s brightest days are ahead, and I’m committed to preserving its hometown charm.
Riverton is the only city in Utah that has an existing law enforcement agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Do you support this agreement?
Buroker: Declined to answer.
McCay: Declined to answer.
If elected, would you advocate for your community to conserve more water to aid the Great Salt Lake?
Buroker: No.
McCay: Yes.
What’s a fun or interesting fact about yourself?
Buroker: I take organ lessons and have played for my church congregation for over 25 years.
McCay: I achieved my goal of visiting all 50 states before turning 50. My next adventure is to explore every U.S. National Park. I’m passionate about humanitarian work, having served in Mexico, India and multiple African countries. I’m eager to continue making an impact in Riverton and around the world.