Corroon turning Salt Lake County around

Much of that atmosphere change stems from an almost entirely new mayoral staff Corroon installed after taking the reins. Every employee already in the mayor's office had to reapply for his job and only five of the 25 previous staffers made it onto Corroon's team.

"I'm one of the few that has bridged this. Things are changing significantly," Braden said. "People appreciate the efforts the mayor has made to build morale and keep employees informed and bring everybody into the tent."

But all that reform keeps the mayor running, regularly working 12-hour days, four nights a week and most Saturdays.

With a wife and three children ages 2, 3 and 4, juggling the demands of his new office and his family-focused Catholic upbringing means his family shows up at a lot of parades and a stack of papers often goes home with him at night.

"We still sometimes push him out the door at night. He's tireless and he loves it," said Sheryl Ivey, special projects director and former campaign manager for Corroon. "He wants to go to everything and meet with everybody. He loves the person-to-person."

But Corroon says he wouldn't have it any other way.

In fact, Corroon wishes he had more time to just sit and talk with residents about their concerns and what they want out of county government.

"I don't want to get so bogged down in the daily grind that I'm not thinking about the big picture," he said. "I want to step back and look at the big issues instead of getting stuck in the nitty gritty."

Despite his efforts, however, many residents still don't quite know how they feel about the fresh-faced new mayor. According to an April Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll by Dan Jones & Associates, 43 percent of respondents answered "don't know" to whether they approve or disapprove of the job Corroon is doing.

The upside to Corroon's large "don't know" faction is a mere 6 percent outright disapproval rating. About 51 percent of respondents approved of the work Corroon has done in his few months in office.

Ivey noted that many people may not know much about the county mayor simply because he is usually listening instead of grandstanding on issues.

"He's still more of a public servant than a politician," said Ivey, who noted Corroon was even a little embarrassed by a recent article in Salt Lake Magazine naming him the "Best New Political Force."

But Braden said residents shouldn't confuse that gentle demeanor with a lack of initiative. In fact, Corroon has been implementing new programs from Day One, slashing salaries in the mayor's office budget and even eliminating the mayor's traditional slush fund.

Ivey, for example, makes only half of what the previous special projects director made.

Corroon has also spearheaded a push to acquire more open space, committing $2 million to the county's Open Space Trust Fund and purchasing 14 acres near the mouth of Parley's Canyon.

He also backed a substance abuse program to offer judges a way to provide some criminals a treatment alternative to incarceration. He created a Council on Diversity Affairs to increase minority involvement in county government.

"He's got a firm but gentle hand, no question," Braden said. "But I don't think you need to mistake being quiet for not being in charge."

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E-mail: estewart@desnews.com