Eagle Mountain mulls full-time mayor

EAGLE MOUNTAIN — A special City Council meeting is set for Tuesday to give residents a chance to sound off on whether the city should make the mayor a full-time position.

While the council has not voted to upgrade the position, it has set aside money in its 2006 budget to cover the increased cost if a change is made.

A final vote is possible following Tuesday's discussion, but not definite, City Administrator Chris Hillman said.

The new budget that takes effect July 1 includes approximately $50,000 for salary and $20,000 for benefits if the mayor post changes to full-time, Hillman said.

"Right now, the money has simply been set aside," Hillman said. "This was the first step. By state statute, the city now needs to hold a public hearing regarding the matter before it can act."

Although Eagle Mountain, with a population of about 11,000, is much smaller than other cities that do not employ a full-time mayor (Orem is more than eight times larger and does not have one), city officials say managing the city's explosive growth and utilities (the city operates the natural gas utility in addition to the traditional sewer and water systems) is a full-time job.

"The discussion was brought up by our current mayor," Councilman Vincent Liddiard said. "It was in regards to managing a city that owns its own utilities."

Five years ago, Cedar Hills was only a fifth its current size, with a population of 2,110. Since current mayor Kelvin Bailey assumed office in 2002, he has worked to manage the growth and provide a functioning infrastructure while decreasing the city's overall debt.

Bailey has said it was a task that required full-time attention and cited stress over trying to fulfill his mayoral and professional obligations when he tendered his resignation in January this year.

His resignation will take effect Thursday at 5 p.m., when Liddiard, who is mayor pro tem, will assume the position until a new mayor is appointed.

The council will begin the process of appointing a new mayor during its regular meeting July 5, when it will open a 14-day period of accepting letters of intent from citizens interested in the position. The new mayor is not expected to be in place until the beginning of August, and will serve in that capacity until January 1. The new mayor will have the option to run for a full-term since the mayor's post will be on the November ballot.

Liddiard said he is not interested in campaigning for the mayor's office in this election, citing professional and family commitments. He said Eagle Mountain will need a full-time mayor eventually, but he doesn't believe that the time has come.