Fresh faces may fill Santaquin City Hall

SANTAQUIN — No matter how the elections turn out Tuesday, fresh faces are headed to Santaquin City Hall.

Filip Askerlund is the lone incumbent running for city office, and he's only been a member of the Santaquin City Council for 12 weeks.

Askerlund, who has served as chairman of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, was appointed to the City Council on Aug. 20 to replace Dennis Brandon, who was named mayor July 6 — a month after LaDue Scovill stepped down.

Brandon, who was serving on the City Council when appointed, will complete Scovill's term but opted not to seek re-election. That allowed mayoral candidates James E. DeGraffenried and Marie Durney to avoid a primary and advance to the general election.

In addition to Askerlund, candidates for the two four-year seats on the council are former Santaquin City Councilman Arthur L. Adcock, James F. Linford and David R. Stemmons.

Askerlund, 52, has been a Santaquin resident for the past 9 1/2 years, during which time the city has grown from about 2,300 residents to an estimated 5,800 in 2004.

If the city builds out all of the land that has been annexed in, another 20,000 to 22,000 residents could call Santaquin home by 2030, he said.

And that creates some concerns.

"This is in a city that still doesn't have a very good commercial tax base," said Askerlund, who collected 171 votes in the primary election to finish third behind Adcock, who received 253, and Linford, who earned 190. "We need some businesses that are going to bring in some substantial tax revenues."

Adcock agreed, saying finding ways to manage growth is the No. 1 issue facing Santaquin.

"Santaquin is undergoing a lot of growth, and I'd like to be part of trying to manage that growth and encourage economic development in town," he said.

Adcock, 58, said he also would like to see Santaquin develop a true city recreation department.

"City Hall is used as (a recreation department), but there just isn't very much for (youths) to do," he said. "They are involved in baseball and soccer, but I'd like to expend it."

Linford, 60, is a two-year resident of Santaquin with no previous political experience. But as a retired accountant, Linford said he believes he can help Santaquin with its fiscal responsibilities.

"It's such a fast-growing community right now that there are some real challenges out there, and I believe I can help them with that," he said.

Linford said his main concerns are the city's approval of new housing developments and its low commercial growth.