The hamlet of Wallsburg hasn’t forgotten the 2013 election it didn’t hold

Wallsburg • This Utah mountain village of about 300 souls is not on the way to anywhere and few pass through, save deer hunters or Girl Scouts on their way to camp.

Incorporated in 1863 by Mormon settlers, Wallsburg is its own special Western Shangri-La, where State Route 222 comes to an end. It is defined by its fresh air and mountain quietude. But two years ago, the burg made national and international headlines when it "forgot to hold the municipal election."

Actually, they didn't forget. But the state law had changed, spoiling the town's traditional, if unconventional, way of electing the mayor and town council.

It's a different story this year as more than one candidate has signed up to run, signaling what could turn out to be the most exciting election in a while.

Belva Ford, who has lived for 64 of her 82 years in Wallsburg, recalled how the 2013 election that didn't happen caused quite a commotion.

"They didn't have the election," she said, "and they got in a whole bunch of trouble."

Well, a bunch of publicity, anyway. But that's not the whole story.

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How it is • To understand how things ­— including elections — work in Wallsburg, it's helpful to know a little about the place.

What used to be called Round Valley is surrounded by nature with a view to the north of stunning Mount Timpanogos. A mountain spring serves sweet, natural water to a community made up of comparably sweet and usually happy residents, like Ford.

She was born and raised in nearby Heber City but doesn't have a hankerin' to visit the Wasatch County seat. "It's just too busy over there," she said.

The town's schoolhouse is boarded up, as are two little grocery stores. And for a tranquil place like Wallsburg, the news coverage of the 2013 election was more than a little embarrassing.

The town council is made up of a mayor and four council members. They usually meet once a month, but have ongoing duties, explained Councilman Boyd Whiting, who has lived in Wallsburg for 33 years and is something of a newcomer.

Like many in the remote Wasatch County town, Whiting commutes to work. For him, it's a one-hour drive each way to Research Park at the University of Utah. But he and his wife, Georgia, just love the place and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

"It's quiet," Whiting said. "At night, we hear crickets, and in the morning, it's birds singing."

Except for the city recorder, the town has no staff. That means each council member takes on responsibilities, such as roads, parks, cemetery and water.

The town contracts with Wasatch County for such things as law enforcement and snowplowing.

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Turn's up • According to Whiting and Councilman Scott Larsen, residents usually aren't chomping at the bit to take on the town's responsibilities for the small remuneration the council members get in return.

Larsen said he could spend 20 hours a week on council business. But, he joked, the salary is only enough to pay the water bill. And Wallsburg's spring water is some of the cheapest in the state.

Council members often remain in office for 10 to 20 years or until they've had enough, he explained.

Larsen, who has been on the council for six years, is its newest member. After working 30 years in the tech industry in Utah County, he moved to Wallsburg, where he keeps bees. He sells his product under the brand Round Valley Honey.

The town's elections are rarely about who wants to win, Larsen said. It's more like whose turn it is.

"A day or two before the election, they'd talk somebody into [running for office]," he said. "Then, they'd put up signs all over town telling folks who to write in."

But in 2013, the Legislature changed the law, requiring that write-in candidates register 60 days before the election. That information, somehow, did not make it to Wallsburg in time. When November 2013 rolled around, it was too late for the traditional Wallsburg write-in election — so the town skipped it altogether.

The uncast ballots hit the fan — folks in Wallsburg didn't really want the storm of publicity that ensued. But with the help of state officials, they found a way forward.

"There is no statute that says if you miss an election, do this," said Mark Thomas, director of elections in the lieutenant governor's office. "But vacancies can be filled by appointment."

Accordingly, the sitting council members took turns appointing one another to fill the "empty" seats.

Thomas said the town may have missed two elections. But the 2013 law says that if no municipal seats are contested by registered candidates, then an election need not be held.

That very well could have been the case in Wallsburg in 2011.

Hot election • Nonetheless, earlier this year, Mayor Jay Horton and council members Rick Sabey and Doyle Graham ­— who all have been in office for about two decades — made it known they were ready to hang up their civic spurs.

There was some talk of disincorporating the town if no one signed up to run for their spots, Whiting said.

Fortunately, several folks came forward. In fact, this fall, there is a rare contested race for mayor: Toby Graham is running against Celeni Richins.

Whiting and Larsen are again running for council seats, along with Clint Allen and Romona Memmott.

Come January, there will be new blood in Wallsburg's municipal government. But don't expect the place to change much.

Nobody will be in a rush. The symphony of evening crickets will still break the daytime tranquility. Morning songbirds will hail the arrival of another day. And sure as that sunrise, the spring water will be just as sweet as ever.

csmart@sltrib.com