City still not a reality

"Every city needs commercial growth, but you have to do that wisely," Bitter said.

Along with establishing firm zoning boundaries, Cullimore said a top priority will be capturing city taxes that until now have been going to county coffers. Cottonwood Heights will be without property tax revenue for the first six months after incorporation because this year's taxes will go to the county.

But neither Cullimore nor Bitter is worried about that initial obstacle because the new city has more revenue than expenses. The candidates are also hoping to cut back on costs by contracting with the county for services like police, fire and sanitation.

Even if the city does hit financial roadblocks, neither candidate wants to raise taxes to foot city bills. The threat of another county tax hike was one of the factors that led 85 percent of Cottonwood voters to opt for incorporation in May, Cullimore said.

With tax revenues streaming in from the Cottonwood Corporate Center, Bitter said the city should be able to avoid going into debt to finance start-up costs. Both candidates are also in favor of saving where possible, including renting office space instead of building a city hall.

"If we're careful with spending, we should be OK. We may have to wait for things that are luxuries down the line," Bitter said.

Bitter, a 24-year Cottonwood Heights resident and member of the Cottonwood Community Council, said she wants residents to feel comfortable approaching her as the mayor. To promote that idea, she has been campaigning door to door since the primary election, where she garnered only 16 percent of the vote compared with Cullimore's 60 percent.

Cullimore, a 26-year resident and CEO of a medical device-manufacturing firm called Dynatronics Corp., said he sees his role as mayor as a facilitator, bringing residents together to solve problems. Cullimore said his experience leading a company with a budget twice the size of that of Cottonwood Heights has given him the expertise to kick-start the business of running a city.

County Councilman Russell Skousen said both candidates will have their share of obstacles, despite experience and expertise.

And if Holladay's incorporation days are any indication, Skousen said the candidates should not expect to stay in office very long. Stillman, for example, only served as Holladay mayor for two years, and residents later voted to change their system from a strong mayor form of government to a city council-manager structure.

"There's just so many divisive issues. It can get pretty crazy at times," Skousen said. "Hopefully they'll learn from Holladay's mistakes."

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