KAYSVILLE -- Kaysville Citizens for Responsible Government will not have a seat on the city council.
After weeks of political tug of war between three incumbents and three challengers, all members of the citizen's group, Kaysville voters had their say during Tuesday's election. Based on the results, residents there appear to like the direction the city is heading.
"I certainly interpreted it that way and that made me feel good," said councilman Ron Stephens. "I know we have our challenges but I feel the city of Kaysville has done a real good job considering the revenue we have."
Stephens, Mark D. Johnson and Brett Garlick recaptured their positions on the council for another four years, while challengers Susan Lee, Ron Barton and Orwin Draney, members of the Kaysville Citizens for Responsible Government, did not finish in the top three spots.
"I think the citizens felt that whatever agenda and whatever power was behind (the challengers), they would come in with decisions already made and make those without discussion," Garlick said.
The trio, Lee, Barton and Draney, openly ran as a team from the get-go in an effort to share campaign sign cost and gain sign placement locations. In response to the challengers, councilmen Stephens, Johnson and Garlick also adopted a team concept when it came to some of their campaign material and sign placement.
The decision made by the six candidates to run in two separate teams with diametrically opposed political viewpoints left voters with few options.
"We had a number of meet the candidate type debates and it seems to me that was what (the challengers) wanted to convey," Stephens said. "I think that was uncomfortable for some of the citizens."
Kaysville resident Margaret Brough, a co-founder of Kaysville Citizens for Responsible Government, was not happy with the results and said her group covered every house in Kaysville and 95 percent of people they talked with were behind them.
"We had a negative and nasty campaign the last few days," Brough said. "The very thing they complained about, our three running together, they did as well."
Johnson said a natural line was drawn and, by default, the incumbents had to join forces.
"People either seemed to be for the three challengers or for the three incumbents," Johnson said. "We were all in the same boat. We had this organization that was running against us individually."
Brough also said she heard Mayor Steve Hiatt and former councilman John McCleary held meetings with citizens and told those in attendance that the election of Lee, Barton and Draney would destroy the city.
"I have never been to a meeting with citizens that was with John McCleary, and I have never told citizens that a vote for those three would destroy the city," Hiatt said. "I'm disappointed, once again, that she would make an assumption and turn around and make it a fact."
Hiatt was happy with the number of Kaysville residents that turned out to vote. According to the Davis County Government website, 11,551 votes were cast in Kaysville.
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