Multiple Davis County locales getting new mayors next week
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- Several new mayors will take over across Davis County the first week of January 2022 following elections in November 2021. They include, clockwise from top left, Tami Tran in Kaysville, Brandon Stanger in Clinton, Dave Maughan in Syracuse, Rod Westbroek in South Weber and Brian Vincent in West Point.
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- Brandon Stanger takes over as mayor of Clinton the first week of January 2022
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- Brian Vincent takes over as mayor of West Point the first week of January 2022
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- Dave Maughan takes over as mayor of Syracuse the first week of January 2022
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- Rod Westbroek takes over as mayor of South Weber the first week of January 2022
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- Tami Tran takes over as mayor of Kaysville the first week of January 2022.
KAYSVILLE — Davis County will be getting a slew of new mayors next week as the winners from municipal elections last November take office.
Closest to Weber County in the northern half of Davis County, new mayors will be taking office in Clinton, Kaysville, South Weber, Syracuse and West Point. New mayors will also be taking office further south in Bountiful, Farmington, Woods Cross and North Salt Lake, making for nine new leaders in all in the county’s 15 cities.
Tami Tran, who will take over from Katie Witt as mayor in Kaysville, said managing growth — an issue up and down the Wasatch Front — will be a priority. Witt didn’t seek reelection.
“Make sure we get in front of it and plan appropriately,” said Tran, who has been serving on the Kaysville City Council.
Kaysville residents last November approved implementation of a new 0.1% sales tax for recreation, arts and parks projects, and the creation of a new committee to oversee how the funds are allocated will be another immediate focus, she said. Continuing talks over creation of a new fire department as the city grows, an ongoing focus of debate, will also rank high.
More generally, she hopes to create more opportunities for public involvement in city matters. One change, she said, will be moving the comment period at City Council gatherings to the beginning of the body’s meetings, not the end, to facilitate the ability of the public to sound off.
Notably, Tran, born in Korea but adopted by a Utah couple and raised here, says she’s the first mayor of Asian descent in Kaysville’s history, maybe further afield than that. “I am kind of excited about that,” she said. Tran’s professional background is in the banking and lending industry.
Brian Vincent will be taking over as mayor of West Point, his first elective post. Erik Craythorne, the current mayor, didn’t run for reelection, but Vincent doesn’t foresee straying much from the path the incumbent has laid out.
“I’ve loved the vision and direction we’re going,” said Vincent, a physician assistant who’s served nine years on the West Point Planning Commission. He wants to maintain “that nice hometown feel” in West Point, facing rapid growth like other locales in northwestern Davis County, where some of the county’s remaining open parcels of land sit.
Rod Westbroek will take over as mayor of South Weber from Jo Sjoblom, who didn’t seek reelection. He is a general contractor who previously served 10 years on the city’s Planning Commission.
“I have a passion for South Weber. I love South Weber,” said Westbroek, who will be serving in his first elective post.
He sensed growing division in the city, disenfranchisement among some, which prompted his bid for office. He’s hoping to bring a sense of unity to South Weber. Some “just felt, ‘This is our community but we feel we don’t have a voice,'” Westbroek said.
Brandon Stanger will take over as mayor of Clinton. He narrowly defeated Lane “Mitch” Adams, the incumbent mayor, in voting last November.
“I look forward to looking at things from a business perspective and seeing where we can be more efficient, save money and increase revenues. I will foster more communication and transparency with the citizens,” Stanger said.
This will be his first time in elective office, though Stanger has served as a planning commissioner and on other governmental committees. His professional background is in financial planning.
Priorities for Stanger will include safety and law enforcement. More specifically, he wants to make sure first responders have the personnel and equipment needed to make Clinton “the safest city in Davis County.”
He aims to attract businesses and new residents and, alluding to the drought gripping much of Utah, wants to find ways “to be more water wise.”
Dave Maughan defeated incumbent Syracuse Mayor Michael Gailey last November and will take over as leader of the city next week. Maughan is a member of the Syracuse City Council, at least until next week.
“As a council member I shared with those I represent on major decisions and explained divided votes. My goal it to continue to keep people informed,” Maughan said in a Facebook post this month. He went on: “I will continue to reach out and communicate as I have done for 6 years now. The accountability is welcome.”
He didn’t immediately respond to a Standard-Examiner query seeking comment.
In the more southern part of Davis County, Kendalyn Harris will take over as mayor of Bountiful. She has served on the City Council there and defeated Randy Lewis, the incumbent mayor.
Brett Anderson will take over as mayor of Farmington from incumbent Jim Talbot, who didn’t seek reelection. Brian Horrocks will take over as mayor of North Salt Lake from Len Arave, the incumbent, who didn’t seek reelection. Ryan Westergard will take over as mayor of Woods Cross from Mayor Rick Earnshaw, who didn’t run again.
Six incumbent mayors in Davis County will continue in their posts. They are Clark Wilkinson of Centerville, Mark Shepherd of Clearfield, John Pohlman of Fruit Heights, Joy Petro of Layton, Howard Madsen of Sunset and Kenneth Romney of West Bountiful.
