'Sketches' of Bountiful's candidates

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Sep 14, 2005 | by Nicole Warburton Deseret Morning News

BOUNTIFUL -- The city of Bountiful is all but built out.

Unlike in cities in north Davis County, there is little room for new houses in Bountiful. Retail and commercial sites have long been established. Utilities and roads are in place.

There is no need in Bountiful to deal with problems associated with rapid population growth, residents say. Instead, the main issues involve fine-tuning and making better what the city already has.

Bountiful's current administration says it has done, and will continue to do, good work for the city. Services have been expanded. Recreation opportunities have been offered. Plans are prepared to increase the city's tax base.

But come November, residents will have a chance to cast a vote on the efforts of some city leaders. Bountiful's mayor and two city council members are up for re-election.

While Mayor Joe Johnson is facing a challenge from only one resident, Jeff Ovitt, the city's two incumbent councilmen are being challenged by three residents.

On Oct. 4, the five people seeking a council seat will face off in a primary election. The four winners will be eligible to run for two of Bountiful's at-large, four-year council seats in November.

A brief biography of the five candidates for Bountiful City Council is featured below:

-- John M. (Marc) Knight, 44, is a retired army officer. He works as an insurance agent and has never held an elected political office. While in the army, he was a battalion chief and served on the board of education for the Fort Bragg, N.C., school system. He is a state delegate for the Republican Party.

If elected, Knight said he can provide strong leadership to guide Bountiful through the changes that come with age.

"It's a community in transition and I think I can help with that," he said.

-- R. Fred Moss, 52, is the owner of Dominion Engineering Associates and Dominion Power Service Inc. He has served the past four years on the Bountiful City Council and is a representative on the Bountiful power board.

Moss said the most critical issue facing Bountiful is ongoing management of the city's power department. Like gasoline, energy prices have risen, he said. Being able to find long-term, low-cost power is a priority.

"Bountiful City provides the best services of any city in our state," he said. "Can we do better? Yes."

-- At 23, Shawn C. O'Hara is the youngest candidate seeking office in Bountiful. He works as a health benefits representative and has no previous political experience.

Top issues facing Bountiful include being able to provide for the health of Bountiful families, according to O'Hara. Redevelopment is also an issue.

"The city of Bountiful is quickly running out of open spaces, which makes development, or the redevelopment of any existing neighborhoods or business districts, a very important issue," he said.

-- Tom Tolman, 62, is semi-retired. He operates a digital imaging business and calls himself the "history nut" of Bountiful. Tolman has served the past four years on the Bountiful City Council. His goals are to see the history of Bountiful recorded and a new city museum built.

The top issues facing Bountiful, he said, include economic development.

"We're a bedroom community to Salt Lake," Tolman said. "We always have been. We don't have a real commercial base . . . and we're kind of losing out on that a little."

-- Phill Wright, 44, is a mortgage loan officer. He is an active member of the Davis Chamber of Commerce and serves as co-chairman of the Davis County Cultural Alliance.

The top issues facing Bountiful include rising utility costs, threats to water rights and crowded parking at local school and sports events, he said. Local businesses also need more financial incentive in order to promote commerce.

"I believe that I can make a difference in promoting, protecting and preserving the way of life we all enjoy in Bountiful," Wright said.

E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com