West Haven mayoral race shaping up between incumbent and City Council challenger
West Haven Mayor Sharon Bolos
Rob Vanderwood
WEST HAVEN — A battle is brewing for the West Haven mayoral post.
West Haven City Councilperson Rob Vanderwood announced plans this week to run for mayor and Sharon Bolos, the two-term incumbent in the growing city, says she will be going for a third term.
Vanderwood, while not singling out Bolos by name, put a focus on bolstering collaboration between council members and the mayor.
“We need leadership that puts ‘unity in the community,’ that sees council members and the mayor as partners in building the future of the city, not as adversaries with personal agendas,” Vanderwood, who’s finishing his first term on the council, said in a statement. “We need a more community collaborative style of leadership with a vision and a long-term strategy.”
Bolos, underscoring the contrasting views between the two on the state of City Council-mayor relations, cited her ability to work with the council as it has morphed and evolved with changing faces over the past seven-plus years.
“I’ve been able to lead each one of them in the way they want to go,” Bolos said. The outlook from council to council as the faces change each election cycle shifts and she’s been able to adjust as well and “lead them forward in their decisions.”
Bolos also noted her strong relationships with a cross-section of the city’s residents, which “goes a long way in leading and your ability to lead West Haven.”
The filing period to run for the varied city posts up for grabs this cycle here and across Utah doesn’t start until next Tuesday. The deadline for candidates to file is June 7. But in West Haven, a growth hot spot and the fastest-growing Weber County city over the last decade, the jockeying now gets underway. Two City Council posts, the one now held by Vanderwood and the one held by Randy Hunter, also come up for election.
West Haven, with wide-open areas to expand, has consistently ranked as one of the fastest-growing cities in Weber County. According to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for 2020 released on Thursday, it has surpassed South Ogden in population and is now the fourth-largest city in the county with 17,972 people, trailing Ogden, Roy and North Ogden.
Dealing with the growth, a challenge and an opportunity, Bolos said, is one of the big issues the city will face going forward. Keeping up the city infrastructure as the city adds new residents will be key.
Alluding to the growth, Vanderwood said maintaining West Haven’s character will be a focus. He also cites infrastructure planning as a priority and touts “controlled growth.” “West Haven is unique for many reasons and we don’t want this community to be lost in the growth shuffle,” he said.
’A FRUSTRATING TWO YEARS'Bolos put a big focus on outreach to the public via social media and other means. Likewise, she cited increased accessibility to city affairs via streaming of public meetings, engagement with schools and more.
Vanderwood, a consultative sales executive with a health care company, put the big focus on streamlining the relationship between the varied city leaders, the City Council, mayor and even the Planning Commission.
“After a frustrating first two years on the City Council, where it seemed very obvious the city’s vision was not on the right track, things have gotten a lot better the last two years (after the most recent election) with the current City Council working together to make positive changes,” he said. Three new council members took office following 2019 elections, and the new makeup of the body has helped pave the way for changes in zoning rules, aimed at getting a handle on growth.
Crime and policing are also priority concerns for Vanderwood. As the city has grown, city leaders have talked on and off about creating a police department for the city, which now contracts with the Weber County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement protection.
“I want all options exposed and detailed. Residents should have a choice, especially if it reaches in their pockets. But honestly, we need to deep dive on this for a solution. Our citizens have requested this and I plan to follow through,” Vanderwood said.
The primary election, if needed, is set for Aug. 10 and the general election is Nov. 2.
