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KAYSVILLE -- With two city council seats available, incumbent Gil Miller received the most votes in the primary; however, former Mayor Brian Cook came in a close second. Also vying for the two four-year council seats are Richard Lenz and Jared Taylor who came in third and fourth respectively in the primary.
Brian Cook
Cook lists many of his civic and government positions as qualifications to again serve on the Kaysville City Council. He served for eight years as mayor and was also a city councilman in addition to many civic and community organization positions.
He said, "When a great hockey player was asked why he was so good, he replied, 'I skate to where the puck is going not to where it has been.' As a council we need to show the same wisdom."
Cook believes Kaysville is one of the greatest places on earth to live and raise a family. He wants to honor its past by paying attention to its future.
Cook said the biggest issue facing the city differs depending on each citizen's unique perspective, believing all issues are important and that citizens need to know that those serving are in tune with their needs and are open and fair in their dealings. He said among the most important issues are converting to a full-time fire department, more traffic lights, adequate police force, and building a strong economic base.
Richard Lenz
Lenz points to his involvement in city, state and federal politics for nearly 20 years. He managed an historic preservation group and project for almost 10 years and raised over $1 million at the city and state level for the project. He said he wrote grants, got Federal historic preservation status for the project as well as coped with the difficulties associated with running a non-profit organization.
Lenz said his business background gives him a unique perspective on solving problems in a city like Kaysville. He said he has had to manage budgets, employees and marketing for over 30 years, and knows what can be done if city officials take a hard look at the operations and budgets.
Lenz said, "I appreciate the quote by Thomas Jefferson when he said, 'The government that governs best, governs least.' That is my philosophy in a nutshell."
Lenz said the most important issue facing Kaysville is the loss of revenue and the close of businesses in the last year. He also pointed to a proposal to raise property taxes 25 percent over the next five years, and said that would hurt a lot of citizens on fixed incomes and limited budgets.
Gil Miller
Miller has been on the city council the last four years. He believes his actions and voting record has been responsible and in the best interest of Kaysville's residences and businesses. He said his professional background in fiscal areas has also been an asset to the community.
"While there have been many difficult decisions the council has made over the past several years, I believe every issue was dealt with in a manner that benefitted the city as a whole," he said.
Miller said his political ideals and philosophies are not necessarily governed by one political party or another, and that Kaysville's uniqueness comes from all aspects of its citizenry. He said every political party and possibly every political philosophy is represented in the 8,500 households and businesses within her boundaries.
Miller said the most difficult issues involve the city's residential growth and how to make sure the city and private business can service this additional demand. The distinctive characteristics that make Kaysville great not only keep residents from leaving, but also attract others, he added, believing one of those attractive distinctions is low city property tax rates.
Jared Taylor
Taylor's professional background comes in the upbringing of Robert W. Speirs Plumbing, Inc., where he became one of the youngest Journeyman Plumbers in Utah by completing four years of training at Davis Applied Technology College and 8,000 work hours.
After completing his training in 2005, Taylor moved into management and is currently the vice president, handling the financial operations and rotating in the complete day to day management of the company.
Taylor points to his leadership training from Rapport Leadership International, where he completed over 100 hours of class training along with 100 hours of On-Team training, which aides in teaching ways to find a new approach to situations, power communication, etc.
Taylor volunteered with the Kaysville City Civic Committee for 10 years and has been involved with behind the scenes work and event work for the New Year's Celebration, Easter Egg Hunt, Fourth of July Activities, and Veterans Day Program.
Taylor said, "I bring a new face with new ideas that I believe to be important to the council. I am not afraid to ask big questions and find facts that lead to the best solutions."
Taylor believes the best decisions come from a group of individuals, each with different backgrounds and experiences. He said maintaining the city's low tax rate is important.
He said the most important issue facing Kaysville is difficult economic times. He said it is up to citizens to maintain a high quality of life by doing their part to help each other.
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Richard Lenz Candidate Response
Jared Taylor Candidate Response
