Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner

WASHINGTON TERRACE — Three of the five hopefuls in the Washington Terrace City Council race met in a forum, sounding off on taxes, public safety, the state of relations between city leaders and the public, and more.

Cheryl Parkinson, Michael Thomas and Zunayid Zishan fielded questions at the event hosted by the Weber County League of Women Voters and offered up their thoughts on the city. Incumbent Carey Seal and Brett DeGroot are also vying for the three at-large seats up for grabs but did not attend Monday’s forum, though invited.

Taxes always seem to be a red-hot issue, and asked how to boost the tax base to help avoid increases, Zishan said the first step would be stopping the practice of granting no-bid contracts for city work, presumably on the grounds that competitive bids could yield lower prices. He also referenced the value of welcoming more businesses into the city, noting that businesses help create a steady tax revenue stream.

Parkinson, a retired elementary school teacher, said she’d focus on finding areas where city spending could be cut and properly prioritizing the city’s needs to avoid spending on “frivolous things.”

Thomas, who works at MarketStar, said if there are urgent needs necessitating spending increases — to fix potholes or buy a new fire truck, say — that’s one thing. “If we’re raising taxes for no purpose, it doesn’t need to be done,” he said.

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Asked about economic development, both Parkinson and Thomas said city leaders should take steps to make Washington Terrace attractive and welcoming to new business, echoing Zishan’s point about the import of luring commerce to bolster the city’s tax revenue stream.

The Weber County Sheriff’s Office is contracted by Washington Terrace to handle policing in the city and the candidates were queried about public safety and whether the city should get its own police department.

Parkinson noted the many services the sheriff’s office is able to provide in Washington Terrace. “It is important that we make sure that we keep the very good relationship with the sheriff’s department,” she said, while also closely monitoring the cost of the service.

Thomas doesn’t think Washington Terrace needs its own department, but he thinks sheriff’s office deputies need to speed up their response time to calls in the city, citing the funds the city pays for the services.

Safety and security is a big issue for Zishan, a financial analyst who volunteers in the sheriff’s office’s Volunteers in Police Service program, or VIPS. He said he’s satisfied with the office’s performance. “I am open to other ideas, but as of right now, I want to stick to the Weber County Sheriff’s Department,” he said.

The candidates also were asked their thoughts on the $98 million sheriff’s office bond question on the ballot this cycle. The money, if the measure is approved, would be used to expand the jail’s medical and mental health facilities and to build a new structure that would house sheriff’s office administration and a minimum-security jail.

Parkinson and Thomas expressed support. Zishan, while supportive of moves to expand the jail’s medical and mental health facilities, said he voted against it.

One of Zishan’s central messages at Tuesday’s forum was concern with what he sees as a disconnect between city leaders and the public, something he’d aim to address. Some in the public “don’t feel their opinions are valued,” he said, adding that he’d put a focus on giving them more voice.

He also touted a need for more openness from city officials. “I want leadership of the city to be more transparent with their actions,” Zishan said.

Thomas repeatedly alluded to an apparent disconnect between people living in two sections of the city, the Upper Terrace and Lower Terrace. Bridging that gap would be a priority for him. “My No. 1 goal would be unity,” Thomas said.

Parkinson said her top goal if elected to the City Council would be increasing communication between city leaders and the public, making sure public feedback is “heard and accepted.”

DeGROOT AND SEAL

DeGroot, a Weber County 911 dispatcher, unsuccessfully ran for a Washington Terrace City Council seat in 2019. Seal, whose City Council biography says he has worked at Autoliv for more than 30 years, is finishing his first term on the body.

“Washington Terrace has been through a lot over the years and the world is drastically changing. As a supervisor with Weber County 911 Dispatch, I also understand the challenges facing our community,” DeGroot said in a statement he provided to the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office election website. “While I think our best days lie ahead, Washington Terrace needs leadership with fresh thinking that not only understands those challenges, but can help our city adapt and progress along with the changing environment.”

Seal’s biography on the Washington Terrace website notes his interests and his work and family history. “Carey looks forward, with great enthusiasm, to serving the citizens of Washington Terrace,” it reads.

Ballots are out and voting ends on Nov. 21. The top three vote-getters in the Washington Terrace race will win City Council seats.

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